You Left Her Where?
by reewees
Summary: Set a few weeks after Journey's End. The Doctor returns to Cardiff and must answer some awkward questions.
1. Chapter 1 The Doctor Feels

The Doctor has been aimlessly wandering the Vortex since leaving Donna with her mother and grandfather. He can't seem to decide where to go or what to do next. Nothing appeals to him.

The TARDIS is running low on power – it took a lot out of her towing the Earth back to its correct position and then taking Rose, Jackie and Him back to the alternate universe. Time to visit the rift at Cardiff and refuel.

He moves slowly around the console, setting the co-ordinates, almost like he is in a trance. He isn't looking forward to this – not one little bit. But he has no choice – the TARDIS needs fuel and this is the closest option.

He throws a lever and the engines start to whine. The TARDIS doesn't seem to be too happy about this either. She lands roughly – knocking him off his feet.

As the Doctor picks himself up from the floor he hears a loud banging on the doors.

"Doctor," someone is calling. More banging follows.

He recognises the voice. It belongs to the last person on Earth that he wants to see right now.

"Come on Doctor, let me in. I know you're in there – I saw you land and the doors haven't opened since."

The Doctor lets out a sigh of resignation. "Better get this over with then," he mutters to himself.

He walks down the ramp, opens the door and is greeted by a grinning Mickey Smith.

"So how's it goin' Boss?" asks Mickey.

"Oh you know, same as usual," replies the Doctor. "And what about you Mickey, what are you doing with yourself these days? How long has it been since we dropped you off?"

"It's been nearly a month now. Jack convinced Martha and me to come work for him at Torchwood. They have some really amazing stuff down there. I can't wait to show Rose around the place."

Mickey is trying to peer into the TARDIS but the Doctor is blocking his view.

"Where is Rose?" comes the question the Doctor has been dreading.

The Doctor pales under Mickey's intense gaze. When he doesn't offer a reply Mickey asks again, with a forceful tone, "Doctor, where is Rose?"

"She's not here," is the whispered reply.

"What do you mean she's not here? She can't have gone to visit any of her old friends, she is dead in this reality. Did you drop her off to see Sarah Jane? I know they became quite close after we saved the Earth."

"No Mickey, she's not with Sarah Jane. She's not with me anymore. At least, not in this universe."

"Not in this universe? What are you saying, Doctor?" Mickey's stance has become threatening now.

The Doctor looks Mickey in the eye. "I left her back on the parallel world with her family."

"You. Left. Her. Where?" Mickey yells, making each word sound like a statement.

"Well I didn't actually leave her – she left me. She chose to stay there."

"Oh no you don't, Mister. Something's not right about that. Why would Rose leave you when she spent all that time trying to get back to you? What did you do?"

The Doctor took a step backwards, trying to put some distance between himself and a clearly angry Mickey.

"I didn't do anything. She chose to stay with Him. I had to leave him there, he's too dangerous to let him stay in this universe."

"I don't believe you – there has to be more to it than that!"

"He's part human. He can give her what I can't."

"And what's that?" asks Mickey.

"He can give her forever – her forever, not mine."

Mickey gives the Doctor an odd look. "Come on Doctor, this is Rose you are talking about. She is not some fickle female. Something else must have happened."

The Doctor hangs his head. "He told her that he loved her. That's why she chose him."

His voice is getting shaky and his eyes are welling up with unshed tears. He shakes his head, clears his throat and looks up again.

"It's for the best anyway. She can keep an eye on him – stop him getting into trouble."

Mickey still doesn't look convinced. "But why would he tell her that?"

So the Doctor explains the events as they had unfolded at Bad Wolf Bay, ending with him and Donna leaving while Rose was kissing Him.

Mickey has listened quietly to the Doctor's story but now he bursts out laughing. He is laughing so hard that he has to hold his sides, they are aching so much.

The Doctor is starting to get annoyed now. "What's so funny?" he asks impatiently.

"You are. And you call me an idiot. Well who's the idiot now then, Doctor?" He doubles over, roaring with laughter again.

"I've had enough of this. Just stop it and tell me what you mean," the Doctor demands.

Mickey sobers up immediately. He knows that tone of voice – the Oncoming Storm is brewing. It is better not to mess with him when he is in this mood.

"You really don't have any idea about women do you Doctor? Rose was trying to make you jealous, show you what you were missing out on! There is no way in a million years that she would choose to stay with him over you. It is you she loves. You and the TARDIS and travelling in space and time. And now you have taken all that away from her, without even asking her if it was what she wanted."

The Doctor is silent, slowly processing what Mickey has just said.

Mickey watches the emotions play over the Doctor's face. First there is disbelief, which slowly changes to hope then dawning understanding and finally despair.

"Oh my poor Rose. What have I done to her, Mickey? What have I done?"

With that the Doctor sinks to the ground, his back against the door of the TARDIS. He puts his head in his hands and finally allows his true emotions free reign, no longer caring who sees them. He sobs as if his hearts are breaking, lamenting what he has done to himself and his lost Rose.


	2. Chapter 2 Rose Has Regrets

Rose hears the TARDIS start to dematerialise and breaks the kiss. She starts to run towards the TARDIS but it's too late – he's gone forever this time.

The other him comes to stand beside her and takes her hand. She can't bring herself to call him Doctor. "I will call him Don," she says to herself. "After all, Donna helped to create him."

Jackie has moved further up the beach. She is on the phone to Pete, trying to explain what has happened and organise transport and accommodation.

Rose decides to make the most of this temporary privacy. She drops Don's hand and turns to face him. "If you are him then can you explain to me why he left me here? What did I do wrong?"

"You asked the wrong question. You should have asked us how we felt about you – if we loved you."

"But what difference would that have made? If you are both the same ….. " she trails off as she notices the contemptuous look on Don's face.

He sneers at her. "We may have the same thoughts and memories but when it comes to feelings we are universes apart."

"But you told me you only had one life and could spend it with me."

"It's easy to hear what you want to hear isn't it? I said I could spend my life with you if _you_ wanted. I never said it was what _I_ wanted!"

Rose backs away from him a bit. She has a really bad feeling but is not sure why. Still she decides to press on with her questions. "I don't understand why you are saying these things. You said you loved me. Was that a lie?"

"I never said I loved you at all. You wanted to know how that sentence ended and I told you. That was what _he_ was going to say to you. Not me. I have no use for petty emotions. They only get in the way and I have more important things to deal with."

He takes a step closer to her, his eyes gleaming. "You played right into my hands when you asked that question. I knew he didn't want to leave you behind so I had to find a way to make him leave without you. When you kissed me it broke his hearts."

"But what do you want with me?" Rose looks around for Jackie. She is still some distance up the beach, gesturing wildly as she talks on the phone.

"It is survival of the fittest and you, Miss Tyler, are the means to my survival!" Don's face seems to have changed. He no longer reminds Rose of the Doctor. He starts to pace around the beach like a madman.

"How can I help you survive – why would I want you to help you?" Rose is getting more afraid by the second.

"If you want your precious Doctor to live then you will do whatever I say. I want Bad Wolf."

"But Bad Wolf is gone. The Doctor took it from me and returned it to the heart of the TARDIS. If you have his memories you should know that."

"That is where you are mistaken. A little piece of Bad Wolf is still in you, just buried deeply. I should know, I was the one that left it behind."

Rose thinks on this for a moment, a puzzled frown on her face. "How could you have left it behind, you didn't even exist when Bad Wolf happened."

Don shakes his head at her confusion. "How little you truly understand about Time Lords. I have always been. I am always with the Doctor. But he is not aware of my presence. He doesn't know about Bad Wolf."

"But if you are him and he is you, wouldn't he know what you did?" That bad feeling is turning into a feeling of impending doom.

"No he wouldn't because I have blocked those memories." Don is sounding more insane by the minute.

Rose looks around for a possible weapon to defend herself with and notices Jackie crouched down nearby. She motions for Rose to keep Don talking while she finds a better position.

Rose fixes Don with a glare and strikes a defensive pose. "What about Donna? She has the Doctors mind in her head. Would she know?"

"She may have known but that won't be a problem. The Doctor will have wiped her memories by now in order to save her life." Don starts to turn towards where Jackie is hiding.

Rose grabs his arm and asks, "What do you hope Bad Wolf can do for you?"

"She will bring me back my TARDIS," he replies.

He goes to say something further but at that moment Jackie leaps from her hiding place and cracks him over the head with a piece of driftwood. He collapses onto the soft sand – out cold.

"That should keep him quiet for a while. Help me find something to tie him up with. I don't know what we are going to tell your father when he gets here!"


	3. Chapter 3 What Happened to Donna

Back in Cardiff.

The Doctor is still sobbing. Mickey is feeling rather embarrassed. He's not sure what to do, having never seen a grown man, alien, whatever, in such a state.

Mickey finally sits down beside the Doctor, puts his arm around his shoulder and tries to comfort him. "I'm sorry Boss. I didn't mean to get you so upset. I didn't think you cared that much for Rose."

The Doctor ceases his sobbing and wipes his face with his hands. His eyes are red and slightly puffy. "I care more for her than you could ever know, Mickey. Rose has saved my life more times that I can remember. She is my life now and I will never see her again."

Mickey removes his arm and turns to face the Doctor. "Why won't you see her again? Can't you just go back and tell her you made a mistake?"

The Doctor sighs. "I wish it were that simple, Mickey, I really do. But it's not. The walls of that reality have closed again – permanently this time. There is no going back, not for me, not for her."

"But you said that when she was first stranded in that universe. And look at what happened. Rose was able to get back to you. What's to stop her from doing it again?"

"Mickey, Rose was only able to find me because of what Davros and the Daleks were doing. They were endangering all realities. That made the walls thinner and enabled Rose to get through. We stopped them and in doing so trapped Rose in the parallel universe, forever."

He stands up and starts to pace back and forth in front of the TARDIS. "My people had ways to safely travel between parallel universes, but my people are gone. Without them it is impossible to rescue Rose."

Mickey jumps to his feet, hits his head with his hand and asks, "what about Donna? She is part Time Lord, isn't she? Can't she help you?"

"No Mickey, she can't. I had to remove her memories – she was dying from having all that knowledge in her head. I couldn't let that happen to her, not after what she had done to save us all. And if she ever remembers, even for a second, it will kill her."

Mickey shrugs his shoulders. "Well there must be something we can do. I'm not having it this way. Let's go and see if Jack or Martha have any ideas."

With that Mickey turns and leads the way to the secret entrance to the Hub.

Martha meets them as they step off the lift. She goes to ask the Doctor what the matter is but Mickey shakes his head.

"Where's Jack?" Mickey asks. "We need to talk to him – the Doctor needs his help."

"He's out on a mission with Gwen and Ianto at the moment. They may be quite a while. A suspected UFO crash site has been located."

"It can wait," the Doctor says. He tries to shake himself out of his earlier fog of grief. "Tell me what you have been doing with yourself since I last saw you, Martha Jones."

"Well, now that you mention it, I have just come from the hospital. I was asked to consult on a very interesting case, Doctor. The patient was Donna Noble. What did you do to her?" Martha's voice has risen with each word, until she is almost shouting.

The Doctor flinches away from her, fearing that she is going to hit him. He hates being hit – especially by women!

He explains to Martha what he had to do to save Donna's life, how he told her grandfather she could never be allowed to remember or her mind would burn up.

"Martha, what's wrong with Donna? What are her symptoms, her state of mind, why were you called to consult on the case?" The Doctor is firing off questions as quickly as they come to mind. He is pacing the floor, too agitated to stand still.

Martha explains, "Donna's grandfather found her this morning. She had collapsed in the kitchen. She had a high fever and complained of an excruciating headache. He took her to the hospital and asked them to call me for a second opinion."

"And what is your opinion, Martha?" asks the Doctor.

Martha shrugs her shoulders in resignation. "I don't have one, Doctor. I can find no medical reason for what Donna is feeling. It's weird though. I was watching her from outside her room for some time before I went in. She was sitting up in bed, just staring at this ring on her finger. Then she would turn it around a few times and just stare at it again. She seemed to almost be in a trance."

The Doctor grabs Martha by the shoulders, a look of excitement shining in his eyes. "Describe the ring for me. What colour is it, how big, what hand is she wearing it on?"

Martha thinks for a moment before replying, "It's on her right hand, really large oval shape, is a greenish colour with maybe a hint of red. I've never seen a stone like it before. And the weirdest thing is, it seemed to wink at me when I looked at it. Do you know what it is, Doctor?"

"Oh yes. Donna bought that ring at a bazaar when we went to the planet Midnight. That is no ordinary ring. That gem is a keystone."

Mickey, who has been following this closely, pipes up and asks, "what's a keystone?"

"A keystone, Mickey, is like a receptacle. You can store things in it. Images, memories and so on." The Doctor is in full flight with his lecture.

"Are you saying Donna's memories are in that keystone?" Mickey asks.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Mickey."

"But you said if Donna remembers anything she will die. How does this change anything?" Martha feels she has to be the voice of reason here. The Doctor has a habit of getting carried away sometimes!

"There just may be a way but I will need to talk to Jack first. Can we get him back here any faster?"

"Well, I wasn't supposed to tell you after you deactivated his teleport. We recovered the Indigo device and he has adapted that into his wristband." Martha gets her mobile phone out, preparing to call Jack.

Mickey has another important question for the Doctor. "If Donna's memories can be restored safely, will she still be part Time Lord? Can she help you get back to Rose?"

******************************************************


	4. Chapter 4 Donna Makes a Decision

Martha spins back around to face the Doctor and Mickey. "Why do you need help to get to Rose? Isn't she upstairs in the TARDIS?"

Before the Doctor can gather his thoughts to reply, Mickey asks her to help him in the kitchen making tea.

The Doctor gives him a smile of gratitude, knowing that Mickey will explain it all to Martha, saving him from it a second time.

But he is dreading telling Jack. And he knows Mickey will not be able to do it for him.

Mickey and Martha return from the kitchen with trays of tea, coffee, biscuits and sandwiches. They motion for the Doctor to follow them up to the conference room.

"Are we expecting an army?" the Doctor tries to make light of the situation.

"No, just Jack and ourselves. He should be here any …." Martha trails off as Jack appears in the main control area.

"And here he is now," Jack says and salutes the Doctor. He follows them up to the conference room. "What's this about Doctor? All Martha said on the phone was that you need my help. I thought we saved the world and everything was back to normal!"

Jack looks around the room, taking note of who is present. "One question though – the last time I saw you, there were 3 Doctors. Where are the other two and where's Rose?"

The Doctor keeps his distance from Jack, in case he explodes when he hears what has happened. He explains everything to Jack, Martha and Mickey assisting where required as the Doctor starts to lose his voice as his emotions fight their way to the surface again.

Once Jack is up to date with everything, including the situation with Donna, he looks at the Doctor and says "if I help you do this you had better not stuff things up again, because if you do so help me …"

He was interrupted by Mickey. "If he stuffs up you'll have to wait in line behind me."

Martha is practical as ever. "Ok boys, enough already. Can we please get back to the reason we are all here. We want to help the Doctor get back to Rose. First things first though. Doctor, is there a chance that Donna will retain her Time Lord abilities if her memory is restored?"

Jack tells everyone to sit down and Martha serves the tea and coffee. Once they are all settled the Doctor answers Martha's question.

"Yes Martha, there is every chance that Donna will retain her Time Lord self. That keystone is trying to release her memories. It wasn't made to retain that much information. If we don't help her and the keystone succeeds in returning the memories to her, she could die. If we help her and are successful, I can join my mind with hers and we can work out a way to safely return to Rose's parallel world. But it will be dangerous trying to restore her memory, that's why I need your help."

Jack is quick to offer assistance. "Anything you need, just say the word. I'll do anything for Rose, even Donna come to that. She saved us all from the Daleks. That's gotta count for something."

"Firstly, I want Donna here, not in the hospital. Tell her grandfather what we are planning to do. If he's worried tell him I'm going to make Donna better – like she was when she was travelling with me."

The Doctor starts ticking things off on his fingers. "Secondly, I want to see any alien technology that you have that may be used to read brainwaves."

Jack looks a bit uncomfortable. "We have a mind probe but it only works on aliens. Use it on a human being and their head explodes."

The Doctor throws him a dark scowl. "And how would you know something like that Jack? Have you been experimenting? I thought you said you weren't like the original Torchwood."

"We aren't like them at all, Doctor. We used it once on someone that we truly though was an alien threat. Turned out he wasn't but it was too late. We haven't used it since then."

"Well let me have a look at it and I'll see if I can modify it to be safely used on a human. Maybe the Time Lord consciousness will keep Donna safe anyway."

Jack jumps up – all action now. "Ok, Martha, Mickey. Get to the hospital and collect Donna and her grandfather. Don't answer any questions from the authorities at the hospital. Take her out the back way if you have to. Doctor, come with me to the med lab."

Everyone races off to complete their tasks.

*********************************************************

Martha and Mickey return to the Hub an hour later with a very irate Donna and her grandfather in tow.

"I don't need to see another flippin' doctor. I'm fine, I keep telling you. I just want to go home." Donna is clearly not happy with this situation.

The Doctor and Jack choose that moment to appear from the med lab. "Ah, Wilfred, Donna, good to see you both," the Doctor says in welcome.

"And who the hell are you?" Donna asks.

"I'm the Doctor and this is Jack. I assume you met Martha and Mickey at the hospital?"

Donna nods at this introduction, momentarily lost for words.

Before she has a chance to start again, Wilfred asks, "Doctor, do you really think you can return Donna to the way she was before?"

"How was I before, granddad? What's wrong with me the way I am now?" Donna looks confused and a little upset.

"Oh Donna love. Do you not recognise any of these people?" Wilfred asks.

"No – I've never seen any of them before in my life." Donna states with absolute certainty.

The Doctor moves closer to her. "And yet you spent over a year travelling with me through time and space. We saved all the combined universes a few weeks ago. You were the most important person in the whole wide worlds. Do you not remember anything at all?"

"Me - important! Ha, you have the wrong person mister. I'm just a temp from Chiswick."

The Doctor winces at hearing Donna belittle herself – just as she used to. "She was better when she was with me," he thinks to himself.

Jack suggests that they all move up to the conference room where they will be more comfortable. "Martha do you mind doing tea duty again?" he asks.

"No its fine, I'll do it," offers Mickey. "You may need Martha to explain things. I won't be long."

When Mickey enters with the tea the Doctor has just finished explaining to Donna and Wilfred what happened with Davros, the Daleks, Rose, the other him and Donna herself. Donna looks a bit shell shocked so the Doctor quickly pours her a cuppa and hands it to her.

She takes a sip and remarks, "oi, how did you know how I have my coffee?"

"Like I said before, you have travelled with me for quite some time. We have had some wonderful adventures together. I'm sorry that I had to take the memory of them from you but I had no other choice at the time." The Doctor leans across the table and takes Donna's hand. "Please let me help you now."

Donna is surprised to hear the gentleness in his voice. "Why do you want to help me?" she asks.

"Because you are my best friend and I care about what happens to you."

She can see it in his eyes – he is telling the truth. "Alright then, let's get this over with. What do I have to do?"

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	5. Chapter 5 On The Beach

Rose finishes tying the last knot and stands up, brushing the coarse sand off her hands. Don is still out cold.

Luckily for her she had found some twine washed up on the beach. Jackie showed her how to secure Don's hands behind his back and tie knots that he wouldn't be able to get loose.

Jackie is once again on the phone to Pete, apprising him of the change in circumstances.

"And make sure they're armed," she orders and slams down the phone.

Rose takes a moment to really look at her mother. Something is different about her. She's not at all like the woman who was so terrified of the Cybermen a few years ago. "Mum, since when have you given Dad orders? And where did you learn to sneak up and attack someone like that?"

"I've been training ever since Tony was born. There may come a time when I need to defend myself and protect my family. I want to be prepared – not like last time with the Cybermen and Daleks. I was a bleedin' mess back then!"

"I'm really impressed, Mum." And she meant it. Jackie had come a long way in the last few years. Being with Pete had done wonders for her.

"When will Dad…." Rose starts to ask, just as three men appear on the beach, seemingly out of thin air.

It is Pete and two armed guards from Torchwood. The guards move to stand watch over the trussed up Don.

Pete moves over to Jackie and gives her a quick hug and kiss. He looks over at Rose and asks "are you ok?"

Rose nods. She finds that she cannot speak – the emotions of the last few hours have finally caught up with her.

She starts to cry, great big wrenching sobs. Jackie rushes over to comfort her. "He left me, Mum. I spent all that time trying to find him and he just left me again. What am I going to do now?"

"Come on now love, he must have had a good reason. I know I was worried when you first started to travel with him, but he promised me he would keep you safe and he always did. I trust him." Jackie leads Rose over to a fallen log and sits down with her. Rose leans into her mother's embrace, finding comfort. Her sobs slow after a few minutes, then stop.

"Well he didn't do a very good job of it this time did he? That freak wants to use me to get the TARDIS." Rose wipes her eyes with the hem of her shirt.

Pete, seeing that Rose has calmed down, comes over to them. Looking over to where Don is, he remarks, "so that's the Doctor's clone then? He looks just like him."

"He is nothing like the Doctor! Don is twisted and evil." Rose shouts.

"Don?" questions Pete.

Jackie shrugs her shoulders. This is news to her.

"He was made when Donna touched the hand – so Don it is. I won't call him Doctor!" Rose states emphatically.

"What does he want from you then?" Pete asks.

"He said I still have Bad Wolf inside me and that he could use it to get the TARDIS back."

"Can that be true?" Jackie asks worriedly. "It nearly killed you when you used it that first time."

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. The Doctor said he took it out of me…." Rose pauses.

"Although, now that I think about it, can either of you remember the last time I got sick?" Jackie and Pete both shake their heads.

"Neither can I. And if I cut myself, it seems to heal a lot faster than before."

"Maybe we had better run some tests back at Torchwood," Pete suggests, "just to be on the safe side."

"Later. What I want to know is – what are we going to do with him?" Rose indicates Don, who appears to be out cold still.

"We'll take him back to Torchwood and lock him in a containment cell. That should keep him out of trouble." Pete starts to move over to the guards.

Rose puts her hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "Check his suit and trouser pockets. If they are anything like the Doctor's, they will be bigger on the inside. There's no telling what he has got stashed away in them."

Pete shakes his head in amazement. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

"Not that I can think of at the moment. Let's just get him safely locked up."

Rose is anxious to see the back of Don. He really gives her the creeps. How can he look like the Doctor and yet be so totally different?

Pete goes over to the guards and gets them to lift Don to his feet. He starts checking Don's suit pockets. Rose wasn't kidding – he soon has quite a collection piled up on the sand beside him. The trouser pockets don't yield as much. "Maybe he was in a hurry when he packed!" Pete thinks to himself.

A sonic screwdriver is amongst the items in the pile. Rose claims that for herself and checks over the other stuff. "Nothing else that looks like a weapon," she confirms to Pete.

Pete nods to the guards. They place a yellow disc on a chain over Don's head, hit a button on their own discs and disappear.

"I thought the dimension jumpers stopped working after the rift was sealed the first time!" Rose says, staring at the spot where the three men had just been standing.

"They did. We've had a team re-engineering them so that we can use them to jump from one place to another. They don't cross dimensions now, only miles." Pete explains.

"Right," says Jackie, coming over to join them. "I hope you remembered to bring a couple of those discs for us. I don't fancy staying in this place a minute longer. And I want someone to get started on those tests for Rose."

Pete nods and hands Jackie and Rose a disc each. "These are programmed to take us to my office at Torchwood. You use them the same as before, just hit the button in the centre of the disc."

They hang the discs around their necks, look at each other, press their buttons and disappear.

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	6. Chapter 6 Welcome to Torchwood

Pete, Jackie and Rose all materialised in Pete's office at Torchwood.

Rose, having never used the modified dimension jumper, was feeling slightly disorientated.

Jackie, on the other hand, was straight down to business. "Ok Pete, where have they taken that alien clone, so and so? I want to give him a piece of my mind."

"He'll be in the containment cells on sub level 26. That's where our really dangerous guests are kept. Access is restricted. Rose already has clearance. I'll just grab a temporary pass for you." Pete doesn't seem at all surprised by Jackie's manner.

Pete moved behind his desk, unlocked a drawer and removed a security pass. He handed it to Jackie.

"Right then, let's get a move on." With that Jackie headed for the door.

Pete threw Rose an apologetic look and moved to follow his wife. No one messed with Jackie Tyler when she was in this mood!

Upon reaching the door, Jackie turned and motioned for Pete to take the lead.

He led them down the corridor, turned right and then took the second left, ending up at what appeared to be a service lift.

There didn't appear to be any way to call the lift, no up or down buttons were present. There was, however, what appeared to be a scanner of some sort on the wall.

Pete placed his right hand on the scanner. A blue light appeared, moving from top to bottom, reading his handprint. Moments later the lift door opened.

They all stepped into the lift car. Pete had to swipe his security pass this time to enable him to select the floor he wanted.

"What's with all the extra security?" Rose wanted to know.

"You've never been in this area have you?" Pete asked.

Rose shook her head in reply.

"It was installed by the original Torchwood. They used the area for experimentation, mainly on live subjects. Because it is so far underground there was little to no chance of discovery, or escape." Pete explained.

Both Rose and Jackie shuddered at hearing that.

"Don't worry," Pete was quick to reassure them, "we don't use it for that now. It is only used for the most dangerous creatures. We put Don here just to be on the safe side."

The lift stopped its descent as he finished speaking. The doors opened and they were greeted by one of the guards from the beach.

"Is he awake yet?" Pete enquired.

"Not yet," the guard replied.

Pete turned to Jackie. "What did you hit him with Jacks? Remind me never to get on your bad side!"

"He was going to hurt Rose. I had to do something!" Jackie defended her actions. "It was only a crack on the head."

"Has someone had a look at him?" Pete asked the guard.

"Yes, Dr Jackson was here a few minutes ago. Slight concussion, that's all. He should wake up any moment now."

"Right then, we're going in to see him. Stay alert. Set your weapon to stun and if anything happens don't be afraid to shoot. We don't know who or what we are dealing with at the moment." Pete ordered. The guard stood to attention and saluted.

"Ok, he's just down this corridor – Room 7."

Rose had been looking around while Pete was talking with the guard. The place was dimly lit. The walls and floor were of hard concrete – no paint or coverings at all. There were security cameras covering all angles of approach to the lift.

There were three corridors heading away from the lift.

Pete took the left hand corridor.

Rose and Jackie followed him.

There were solid steel doors on either side of the corridor. They were inset with small, one way viewing windows, enabling the occupant to be studied without his or her knowledge.

Pete stopped in front of Room 7. He looked through the window and saw Don sitting up on the bed. The twine had been removed from his hands and replaced with handcuffs. "He's awake. Are you sure you want to do this, Jacks?" Pete asked.

"Are you kidding? Of course I'm going through with this. He threatened my daughter and I want to know why!" Jackie was getting slightly worked up.

"Ok, ok, calm down. I just wanted you to be sure. What about you Rose?" he asked, turning to his daughter. "Are you up to doing this?"

"'M fine, really. I want to find out more about Bad Wolf before I have those tests done." Rose stared him straight in the eye. He could see she was telling the truth.

"Can he hear us out here?" Jackie asked.

"No, the walls are 2 inches thick. No sound gets in or out." Pete explained.

"Ok, open that door and get out of my way!" Jackie commanded.

Pete rushed to obey.

Don looked up as the door swung open. He started to rise but quickly changed his mind when he saw the look on Jackie's face.

She was thunder and lightning all rolled into one. The Oncoming Storm would bow before her!

Rose and Pete entered the room. Don transferred his gaze from Jackie to Rose. She met him stare for stare, not giving an inch, showing no emotion at all.

Don was the first to break eye contact.

Jackie moved to stand right in front of Don. Fast as lightning, she drew back her hand and walloped him one. Almost immediately, an angry red hand print appeared on his left cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Oh don't come that with me Mister. You know darn well what that was for. Now what were you going to do to my daughter on that beach?" Jackie thundered.

"Look lady, I don't know you and I don't know your daughter. Come to think of it, I don't even know who I am! Or where I am." He looked at each of them in turn, as if seeking answers.

"Nice try, but that one won't work here. Now answer my question." Jackie was getting impatient now.

"I mean it. I don't remember anything. Who am I?"

*********************************************************


	7. Chapter 7 Donna Remembers

Back at Torchwood Cardiff.

The Doctor lets out a sigh of relief. He thought for a moment there that Donna was going to refuse his help.

"Let's go downstairs to the Med Lab. It will be easier if I show you the equipment and explain how it works." The Doctor is up and moving before anyone else.

They follow him in silence. Everyone realises that there is a lot riding on the outcome of this exercise.

Once in the Med Lab, the Doctor has Donna sit on the bed.

"Martha, hand me the mind probe," the Doctor requests.

She passes him a peculiar looking device. It is silver, metallic and reminds her of a crown, but without the jewels.

"Right, now, Donna, this is what we will be using to try and restore your memories."

"Er, Doctor, is that thing safe to use?" Wilfred is clearly worried about Donna's safety.

"I've made a few modifications. I can't guarantee that her memories will be restored but she shouldn't be harmed in any way." The Doctor tries to sound reassuring.

"Oi, _she_ is sitting right in front of you, thank you very much. Kindly remember that!"

"Sorry Donna. Now, let me explain how this thing works. Obviously this part goes on your head and then we attach these electrodes to your temporal lobes. They are then connected to the frequency modulator over there. Psychic energy is fed from it, through the electrodes and into your brain. The trick is to get the energy levels just right so that the keystone will release the memories…." The Doctor is in his element, rambling on about energy fields and electrons. He pauses in mid sentence to see that Donna is staring at him blankly.

She turns to Martha and Jack. "Does he always go on like that? I didn't understand a word of what he just said. Can either of you explain it to me?"

Martha gives her a smile. "You get used to it. He likes to lecture. Now in layman's terms, you put this on your head, focus on the stone and let us worry about the rest."

"Well why didn't you say that in the first place?" Donna shoots the Doctor a dark look.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again, well, maybe once or twice…" he starts to reply.

"Doctor, shut it. Let's just get this over with." Donna is anxious for this to be over. Her headache is starting to get worse.

Martha noticed her wincing with the pain. "Are you ok Donna?"

Donna nods carefully, "headache is back with a vengeance."

"Ok, Martha you stay with me, everyone else out. You can go to the observation platform upstairs. We don't want to take any chances."

The Doctor springs into action, placing the mind probe on Donna's head and connecting the electrodes. He then connects the leads to the frequency modulator.

"Martha, I need you to operate the controls. This dial here increases or decreases the amount of psychic energy being fed into Donna. This screen here monitors Donna's vital signs. If they get too high or low an alarm will sound. Think you can handle it?"

"It doesn't sound too difficult," she nods.

The Doctor goes back over to Donna. "Now Donna, I want you to lie back and get comfortable. This could take a while."

Donna does as he requests and stretches out on the bed. He adjusts the leads so that they aren't tangled.

He takes hold of her hand and looks her straight in the eye. "Thank you," he says, so quietly that she almost doesn't hear him.

Donna takes his hand in both of hers. "It's the least I can do. I can see how much she means to you. I just hope this turns out as you want it to."

The Doctor is too choked up with emotions to speak. He just nods his thanks. She smiles back at him then releases his hand.

Clearing his throat, the Doctor becomes serious again. "Donna, all you need to do for me is focus on that keystone. Clear your mind of everything. Just concentrate on that stone."

He looks up and sees that Jack, Mickey and Wilfred are watching them from the observation platform. "Whatever happens, I don't want any of you to make a sound. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Doctor" is heard three times from above.

"Right, Martha, turn that dial to 100 to start with and keep an eye on those readings."

Martha does as she is asked and a slight humming sound can be heard coming from the machine.

Donna is focusing on the keystone, ignoring all else around her. Nothing seems to be happening.

The Doctor waits another couple of minutes then asks Martha to increase the level to 200.

He keeps a close eye on Donna, watching for any change that might indicate trouble.

"How are her vital signs?" the Doctor asks Martha, not taking his eyes off Donna for a second.

"All within normal range, Doctor." Martha replies, ever the professional.

"Ok, increase to 400. We should see something happen any minute now."

Donna is still concentrating on the keystone. She appears to be in a trance.

As he is looking at it, the keystone emits a brilliant wink of light and then dims. At that same moment, Donna collapses back on the bed, seemingly unconscious.

"Martha, quickly, read me Donna's stats." There is a trace of panic in the Doctor's voice.

She reads them out to him. "They are all still in the normal range so what happened to her?" Martha questions.

"I don't know. The keystone flashed and Donna collapsed. We'll just have to wait for her to wake up. There's nothing else I can do for her." The guilt can be seen on the Doctor's face.

He looks up to where Wilfred is standing. There are tears pouring down the older man's face. "I'm sorry Wilfred….." the Doctor starts to apologise.

"Oi, spaceman, will you get these flippin' things off my head!"

The Doctor turns around, a look of wonder on his face. "Donna, is that you?"

"Well who else were you expecting? The bleedin' Queen?"

"Do you remember where you are and what happened to you?" he asks, moving closer to the bed.

"Yes I do. I'm at Torchwood. Granddad brought me here because of the headaches. And as to what happened to me, that was your doing." With that she reaches out and whacks him one across the side of the face.

"What was that for?" the Doctor asks, a puzzled look on his face.

"That was for taking my memories in the first place, after I begged you not to!" she replies.

"But I explained that to you. You would have died…." He trails off as he notices the gleam in her eye.

"Would you like me to finish explaining how you can fix that chameleon circuit in the TARDIS? I was interrupted last time…."

She is interrupted again, this time by the Doctor, who grabs her by the hands, pulls her off the bed and dances her around the room. When he finally stops dancing around, he pulls her in close for a big hug.

*********************************************************


	8. Chapter 8 The DoctorDonna

The Doctor is still hugging Donna tightly. She returns the embrace then suddenly pulls away from him. She moves over to the bed and sits down, holding her head in her hands.

"Donna, what's wrong?" the Doctor asks, trying not to sound too worried.

"It's my head. I can hear a kind of buzzing, like when the TV isn't tuned in properly." Donna gives him a puzzled look.

"Ok, Donna. Just relax for a moment. I need to get some equipment from the TARDIS to run some tests." The Doctor places a comforting hand on her arm for a few moments.

Wilf, Jack and Mickey appear in the doorway.

Wilf goes straight over to Donna and pulls her into his arms, rocking her as if she were a little girl again. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?" he asks her.

"Better than I was before, Granddad. The Doctor just wants to run a few more tests." Donna puts on a brave face. She doesn't want to upset him.

The Doctor turns to Jack. "Jack, I need some equipment from the TARDIS. Is it alright with you if I move her down here?"

"Anything you need just say the word," Jack is quick to reply.

The Doctor nods his thanks and heads off to get the TARDIS.

Martha joins Wilf at Donna's side. "Is there anything I can get you?" she asks.

"No thanks. I'll wait for the Doctor," Donna replies with a smile. "It doesn't hurt at all, just feels really weird."

The room is filled with the familiar drone of the TARDIS engines. The Doctor emerges, holding a small scanner in his hands.

He heads over to Donna. Wilf and Martha move out of his way but stay close enough to see what he is doing.

"Right then, Donna. Hold still. This should only take a moment and you won't feel a thing."

The Doctor turns the scanner on and moves it slowly around Donna's head. When he is finished a small beep sounds from the scanner and a green light appears on the readout screen.

"Everything appears to be in order," the Doctor states.

"Then what is causing this buzzing in my head?" Donna wants to know.

"I don't know. Like I told you before I removed your memories, there has never been a human/Time Lord metacrisis before. This is all new – even for me." The Doctor runs his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Well you'd better think of something, timeboy, because I don't want to go through the rest of my life with this noise in my head!" The frustration can be heard in Donna's voice.

"There is one thing I can try…." the Doctor starts to explain.

"Then do it," Donna interrupts him.

"If you'd let me finish," the Doctor growls at her. "You don't even know what it is."

"I trust you. Whatever it is, just do it," Donna pleads.

"I appreciate your faith in me but you really need to understand what this entails before I do it. I need to look into your mind, link my mind with yours. I will be able to see all your most private thoughts. Are you ok with that?" the Doctor shoots her a penetrating stare.

Donna seems taken aback by this, then gives herself a quick shake and replies, "go ahead, I have no secrets from you. The other you could read my thoughts so why not you."

Now it is the Doctor's turn to be stunned. "What do you mean by that? How could he read your thoughts?"

"I don't flippin' know how. He just could!" Donna is starting to get annoyed now.

"Ok, ok, calm down. This may make things easier. You must have some kind of mental link with him – a result of the metacrisis. Something must be interfering with the link, causing the buzzing sound." The Doctor is pacing around the room, trying to find a solution.

"Got it!" he shouts triumphantly.

All eyes are on him now, waiting for an explanation.

"All I have to do is link my mind with yours, find the link between you and him and see what is blocking it. Piece of cake," the Doctor grins.

"And you're sure this won't hurt?" Donna queries.

"You won't even know I'm there," the Doctor assures her.

"Fine, then, get to work," Donna nods her agreement.

The Doctor sits on the bed facing her and raises his hands to her temples. Before he touches her he raises an eyebrow, a final, unspoken question as to whether she is sure this is what she wants.

In reply, Donna takes hold of his hands and places them against her temples.

She feels a slight jolt, a bit like static electricity. She looks at the Doctor. He has his eyes closed, a look of total concentration on his face. She closes her eyes as well and relaxes. There is a warm, calming presence in her mind. It doesn't feel strange at all.

Donna mentally watches what the Doctor is doing. She 'sees' him searching her memories and knows when he has found what he is looking for. It looks like a long silver thread, but one end is slightly knotted. The Doctor untangles the knots and then withdraws from Donna's mind.

Donna slowly opens her eyes. "The buzzing noise is gone."

"That's good. It means the link has been unblocked." The Doctor removes his hands from Donna's temples.

"Now, to access the link I need you to clear your mind of everything and just focus on the link. Don't try to force it, it will happen in its own time," the Doctor instructs.

Donna relaxes back against the pillows and closes her eyes. She breathes slowly. Everyone is watching her closely. She appears to be sleeping.

After a few minutes her eyes open. There is a look of wonder on her face.

"That was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced," Donna says.

"What did you see?" asks the Doctor.

"It was like watching a movie on TV. I saw him, the other you, on the beach with Rose. He was angry with her. He was upset that you left him there. He said that he was going to use Rose to get the TARDIS back." Donna stops to catch her breath.

"How could he use Rose to get the TARDIS back?" asks Mickey, concern in his voice.

"She still has the Bad Wolf inside her," Donna replies.

"No she doesn't, I took it from her to save her life," the Doctor states with certainty.

"You didn't remove all of it. He hid that from you. I can see into his mind. He was planning this all along," Donna confirms.

Mickey turns to the Doctor and asks, "if Rose is still the Bad Wolf, could that explain why she never gets sick? Or why she heals quickly, even after a bad injury?"

The Doctor ponders this for a moment. "Yes, Mickey, that could very well explain it."

"Donna, what else did you see?" asks the Doctor.

"I saw Jackie hit him over the head with a piece of wood. Then the next thing I saw was him in some sort of cell. He appears to have amnesia," Donna explains.

"Well then, that could work to our advantage. At least Rose is safe for the moment. Now we just need to figure out a way to get a message to her," the Doctor announces excitedly.


	9. Chapter 9 Bad Wolf

Pete, Jackie and Rose are all staring at Don in confusion.

Pete is the first to recover his senses. "Let me get this straight. You don't remember any of us, is that correct?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I don't remember anything. Not even my name." Don is clearly bewildered.

"I'd better get Dr Jackson to have another look at you now that you're awake," Pete answers.

"Why have I got these handcuffs on?" enquires Don, holding his hands up.

"It's just a precaution – to stop you hurting yourself," Pete is quick to reply. "Now why don't you sit down and take it easy. Dr Jackson will be here in a few minutes and we'll talk more after he has examined you."

With that, Pete leads Jackie and Rose out of the room. Once the door has closed behind them, Pete uses his communicator and arranges for Dr Jackson to check on Don.

"After he has finished with Don we had better get started on your tests," Pete tells Rose.

"I suppose you're right," Rose says with a sigh. "It doesn't look like we'll be getting any answers out of him any time soon. That's if he is telling the truth about not remembering anything."

"Oh I think he was telling the truth. No one would dare to lie to your Mum, especially when she's mad," Pete replies, shooting a glance at Jackie as he moves a few steps away for safety, just in case she feels the urge to hit him!

"Hey, that's not fair. You make it sound like I'm some kind of monster," Jackie grumbles.

"Sorry Jacks. I didn't mean it like that. I wouldn't change you for the world," Pete tries to placate her.

"That's better then," Jackie replies, her tone of voice indicating that his implied apology has been accepted, for now.

"Let's go and wait for Dr Jackson in the med lab. No telling how long he will be with Don. We can get one of his assistants to make a start on those tests," Pete tells Rose.

"Ok, let's get it over with," Rose sighs in resignation. She is not looking forward to this at all.

They follow Pete back down the corridor to the lift. Pete has a quick word to the guard, advising him that Dr Jackson will be down to see Don shortly.

Pete places his hand on the scanner to summon the lift. It arrives within moments. They all enter the car and Pete swipes his security pass and selects the floor for the med lab.

They ride in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

All too soon the lift doors open. The floor they step out onto is nothing like the one where Don is being held. This one is brightly lit. The walls and floor are tiled a brilliant white, giving the place a sterile appearance. There are no plants to be seen anywhere but there is a lounge area with tea and coffee making facilities. A reception desk is off to one side of the lounge area.

Pete heads for the desk. The female receptionist jumps to attention when she sees him approach. "Mr Tyler, what can I do for you?" she asks in a professional voice.

"My daughter, Rose, is to have some tests done with Dr Jackson. He is seeing another patient at the moment. Could one of his assistants make a start on them?" he queries.

"By all means," she replies. "Please take a seat and I'll have someone with you directly." She picks up the phone and can be heard talking to someone quietly, the urgency evident in her voice. It isn't every day that the boss brings his daughter in for tests.

Rose has taken a seat in the lounge area. Jackie is making tea for everyone. It is still her cure for everything.

Pete takes a seat opposite Rose. He can see that she is nervous about the tests. He takes one of her hands in his, trying to offer her what comfort and reassurance that he can. There just doesn't seem to be anything he can say to her to make this any easier.

Jackie comes over and places a cup on the table beside Rose. "Here you are luv, a nice cup of tea. It'll make you feel better in no time," Jackie coos, using a calming tone.

"Thanks Mum, but I don't think I should drink anything before I have the tests. It may interfere with the results…" Rose starts to reply.

"Oh no, that's fine," says a bubbly voice from behind them.

They all turn to see who has spoken and find a young woman dressed in a white lab coat standing there. She appears to be in her early twenties. Her clothes are hidden by the coat but her makeup is impeccable and her dark brown hair is secured in a bun.

"I'm Dr Richards, Dr Jackson's assistant" the woman introduces herself. "And you must be Rose," she says, turning to Rose as she speaks.

Rose nods in reply.

"May I join you?" Dr Richards asks, nodding at the chair next to Jackie.

"Please," Pete offers.

Dr Richards pulls the chair around so that they are all facing each other.

"I would like to explain a few things to you before we begin, just to let you know what to expect and give you a chance to ask questions," Dr Richards explains.

"Ok then," Rose begins hesitantly. "What kinds of tests are you planning on doing and will any of them hurt?"

"We will be doing the usual blood work up as well as hair and urine tests. Dr Jackson also wants to run CT and MRI scans and a DNA profile. Nothing to worry about, unless you have a needle phobia!" Dr Richards tries to make Rose feel more at ease.

"And how long will it take to get the results?" Jackie asks, ever the concerned mother.

"We should have them within a few hours. We have the latest equipment available, some of it adapted from alien technology." The pride can be heard in Dr Richards' voice.

Rose quickly downs her tea, finding to her amazement that it does indeed make her feel better. She stands up and says to Dr Richards, "ok, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Let's get this over with."

Pete and Jackie start to stand as well but Dr Richards stops them with a glance.

"Good luck luv," Pete says and gives her a quick hug.

"We'll be right here waiting for you," Jackie adds, pulling Rose in for a hug and kiss.

"Thanks Mum, Dad. I'll see you soon." Rose tries to put on a brave face for them.

She follows Dr Richards down the corridor and into an examination room.

It looks like any other examination room, a desk, examination table, curtained cubicle, sink, cupboards everything. And all in the same sterile white.

"We'll start with the blood and urine samples first. That way the lab can be analysing them while we do the CT and MRI scans," Dr Richards explains.

Rose just nods her agreement.

Dr Richards hands her a specimen jar and motions for her to go into the cubicle for privacy.

Rose does as requested and returns a few moments later with the required sample, which she hands to Dr Richards.

Dr Richards sticks a label onto the jar then motions for Rose to sit on the table. She gathers up a carrier that has 6 empty test tubes in it. All of them are labelled with Rose's name and the date.

"Now for the hard part," Dr Richards attempts a joke but it is lost on Rose.

Dr Richards rolls up the left sleeve of Rose's shirt and finds a vein. She deftly inserts the needle. Rose hardly feels a thing.

It is all over in a few minutes. The test tubes are sealed and ready to go to the lab.

"Ok then. Now for the scans. Dr Jackson will be meeting us there," Dr Richards tells Rose.

Rose just nods and hops off the table. She follows Dr Richards down the corridor, through a set of swinging doors and into a room that houses the CT and MRI machines. Dr Jackson is waiting for them as promised.

"How are you doing, Rose?" Dr Jackson enquires.

"'M fine," Rose replies half-heartedly.

"This won't take long. We'll do the CT scan first then the MRI. I just need you to get changed into a gown, you can leave your underpants on." Dr Jackson motions to a cubicle in the corner of the room. "You can leave your clothes on the chair, there is a gown hanging up in there."

Rose does as requested and returns a few moments later wearing said gown.

The scans are run without any problems.

Rose changes back into her clothes and Dr Jackson and Dr Richards lead her back to the lounge area.

Pete sees them approaching and jumps to his feet. "How did everything go?" he asks Dr Jackson.

"Everything looks fine on the CT and MRI scan. We should have the blood and urine results back within the hour. The DNA profile may take a bit longer," Dr Jackson informs them.

Jackie goes over to Rose and puts an arm around her shoulders. "How are you feeling, luv? You look a bit peaky," Jackie asks worriedly.

"I'm fine Mum, really," Rose is quick to reassure her. She turns to Dr Jackson and asks, "what's wrong with Don then?"

"He has amnesia all right. That must have been some whack you gave him!" Dr Jackson says as he turns to look at Jackie.

Rose puts a hand to her head, saying, "Oh, I feel a bit dizzy."

"Sit down Rose," Jackie almost pushes her over to a chair.

Rose sinks into the chair gratefully. Dr Jackson crouches down beside her, a worried look on his face. "Rose can you tell me exactly what you are feeling?"

Rose looks at him and is about to reply when she goes totally limp in the chair. A golden glow appears in her eyes and slowly spreads to encompass her whole body.

Dr Jackson jumps back in surprise.

"What's happening to her?" Jackie demands an answer.

"I have no idea. Never seen anything like this before," Dr Jackson replies.

At that moment Rose opens her eyes and stands up.

"Who are you?" Dr Jackson asks.

"I am the Bad Wolf. I am the protector of this child. She is the chosen one, the one who will save us throughout all of time and space. No harm must come to her," the voice says. It sounds like Rose but then it doesn't. The voice sounds as old as time itself.

"What can we do to help you?" Pete asks, the first to recover from the shock.

"You need to tell Rose that I am here with her. She needs to find the Doctor. Tell her that she can communicate with the TARDIS, she just has to open her mind and I will help her," Bad Wolf instructs him.

"Is Rose going to be ok? What about the tests? They haven't hurt her in any way have they?" Pete's concern is evident.

"Rose is fine. The tests were not necessary. I can tell you what you want to know. Rose has been changed as a result of having the absorbed the Time Vortex. The Doctor removed it, but I remained to protect Rose. She is no longer totally human. Her DNA has been altered so that she will age at a much slower rate. Any injuries she receives will heal rapidly, even life threatening ones, as long as she receives immediate treatment. She is to be the life mate of the Doctor. That is her purpose, to be his partner, his protector, his saviour. Make sure you tell her this." With that the glow slowly disappears from Rose and she collapses back into the chair.

Dr Jackson goes over to Rose and checks her pulse. It is racing a bit but otherwise she seems fine.

"What happened?" Rose asks groggily.

Pete explains about Bad Wolf and all that she said.

Rose is stunned at first. Then she closes her eyes and seems to go into a trance. Tears start to roll down her cheeks. "I can hear her, the TARDIS," she explains to them. "I can communicate with her. She says I can go back!"

*********************************************************


	10. Chapter 10 Making Contact

The Doctor and Donna have returned to the TARDIS.

Donna is using the computer terminal on the console, studying printouts that are in a script only she and the Doctor can decipher.

The Doctor, meanwhile, has retired to the library to see if he can find anything amongst the thousands of books he has amassed over the centuries that may assist in their efforts to contact Rose.

Donna looks up from the printout she is studying. She thinks she hears a noise coming from behind her. She turns to see if it is the Doctor returning with something useful but finds no-one there. With a slight shake of her head she returns her attention to the swirling symbols on the piece of paper in her hand.

Several minutes pass with Donna deep in concentration, rapidly typing commands into the computer and scanning the results for any useful hints on how to contact someone in a parallel world. Again she hears a noise from somewhere behind her. She turns around quickly, hoping to surprise whoever is there. "Oh now come on. This is so not funny any more. Just come on out and show yourself," Donna says to the empty room.

Her request is met with silence.

"I must be hearing things," she mutters to herself. "Too much excitement for one day, that's what it is."

A few minutes later Donna hears something again. This time it's a voice. A voice that seems somehow familiar. And that voice is calling one name. "_Doctor_."

"Rose?" Donna whispers the name. "Is that you?"

"_Yes, it's me. Is that you, Donna?"_

"Yes, Rose, I'm here," Donna replies.

"_How can you be there? I thought the Doctor had to erase your memories to save your life. At least that's what the other him told me._"

"He did but then I started to get these dreadful headaches." Donna went on to explain to Rose all that had occurred that day, about recovering her memories and still being part Time Lord.

"How is it that I can hear you anyway?" Donna finally thinks to ask Rose.

"_The TARDIS is helping me. I have a link to her thanks to Bad Wolf. Where's the Doctor?_"

"He's in the library, trying to figure out a way to contact you. Just wait until I tell him that you beat him to it!" Donna is almost crowing over that fact.

"_Can you go and get him please? I don't know how long I can keep this link open. Even with the TARDIS helping it still takes a lot of energy._"

"Just you stay right where you are and I'll be right back with him." Donna races off in the direction of the library, shouting the Doctor's name at the top of her voice.

The Doctor almost runs into Donna in the corridor, his anxiety evident by the look on his face. It's not like Donna to be shouting at the top of her lungs. Something terrible must have happened. He grabs her by the shoulders to steady her and waits impatiently for her to get her breathing under control before he questions her.

"Ok Donna, breathe nice and slowly for me and tell me what's happened." The Doctor tries not to let his impatience show as Donna recovers herself.

"Oh, Doctor, it's Rose. She….." Donna starts to explain but is interrupted by the Doctor as soon as she mentions Rose's name.

"What about Rose?" the Doctor queries, his full attention on Donna.

"She spoke to me. Says she has a link to the TARDIS because of Bad Wolf. She's keeping the link open so that she can talk to you." Donna gets this all out in a rush.

Without another word the Doctor turns on his heel and sprints for the console room, Donna hot on his heels.

"Rose?" he shouts the moment he enters the room. His voice is filled with hope and joy.

Donna notices a shimmering patch of light forming in front of the console. The shimmering fades and a woman is left standing there. It's Rose.

The Doctor sees her as well and starts to run towards her.

"_I'm just an image, Doctor. No touch," _she says to him, echoing his words of so long ago when he first left her on that beach.

"How can you be here? How is it possible?" the Doctor is clearly flustered. He is used to being in control of things but this has left him stunned.

"_The TARDIS and I have a telepathic link because of Bad Wolf. This connection takes a lot of energy but the TARDIS is doing most of it. Lucky that you're near the rift so she can recharge, hey?_" Rose chuckles to him.

"Rose, I'm so sorry for leaving you there with him. Did he hurt you?" the Doctor asks, recovering his senses.

"'_m fine, really. Mum took care of Don. He's in a holding cell at Torchwood. He has amnesia so is no threat at the moment,_" Rose explains.

"Don?" the Doctor queries.

"_Well I couldn't very well call him Doctor and, as he came from Donna, I thought that Don was the next best name for him. Sorry Donna, no offence,_" Rose turns to Donna and offers her a half smile.

"None taken. We know about his amnesia," Donna offers. At Rose's quizzical look Donna explains her own telepathic link to Don and how she was able to see his memories of what had happened on the beach.

"Now we just have to find a way to get you back where you belong," the Doctor starts to ramble excitedly. "That's if you still want to come with me?" he asks, his voice lowering and an almost pleading look appearing on his face.

The Doctor and Donna are both staring at Rose, awaiting her reply. Neither of them dares to take a breath, the tension is that palpable.

Rose's eyes seem to flare for a moment and then become a bright golden colour. The rest of her body is also encompassed by a golden aura. When she speaks it is with a voice as old as time itself.

"_You are a foolish man, Time Lord. Rose has been genetically altered to be your partner, your protector, your saviour. You are her whole reason for existence. She was made for you, and you for her. Do not attempt to leave her behind again or there will be consequences!_" Bad Wolf states firmly to the Doctor.

The Doctor is staring at Rose/Bad Wolf, his mouth agape. For once in his life he is lost for words. Bad Wolf's words have rattled him.

He recovers himself quickly though. "What do you mean about Rose being altered? Altered how?" the Doctor demands.

"_She will age at a slower rate. Her lifespan will match yours. She will also heal rapidly if injured,_" Bad Wolf explains.

"So Rose is a Time Lord now, too?" Donna questions, a look of confusion passing over her face.

"_No, she will not regenerate if injured too badly. If she receives immediate treatment for life threatening injuries she will recover completely. The TARDIS and I will both see to this. Doctor, Rose once promised you forever. This is that forever,_" Bad Wolf smiles softly at him.

Donna turns to the Doctor and notices that he has tears running down his cheeks. She starts to move towards him to offer comfort when she sees the look on his face. It is a look of wonder, hope and elation. There is another emotion evident as well. It is love.

"_We cannot stay any longer. This has exhausted Rose. Make your plans and the TARDIS can relate them to Rose. Remember, two heads are better than one. Goodbye for now, Doctor, Donna,_" Bad Wolf says as she slowly disappears.

*********************************************************


	11. Chapter 11 Making Plans

The TARDIS doors are flung open. Jack barges in, closely followed by Martha and Mickey.

"Hey, have you guys found a way to make contact ……," Jack breaks off mid-sentence when he sees the Doctor.

The Doctor is rooted to the spot, staring at the console. There are tears pouring down his face.

"What's happened?" Jack queries, turning to Donna for an explanation.

"Rose happened, that's what!" exclaims Donna.

"Rose?" Mickey's ears prick up at her name.

Martha approaches the Doctor, puts a comforting arm around his shoulders and leads him over to the jump seat. He gives her a wan smile.

"Yes, Rose. She has a telepathic link with the TARDIS and was able to contact us," Donna replies. She glances at the Doctor, seeking his permission to tell them the rest of this latest development. He gives her a slight nod of approval. He is still trying to get his head around all that Bad Wolf had told them.

"So there you have it," Donna concludes a few minutes later.

"Wow, trust Rose to save the day," Jack states with glee. "So what's next? Can we help you find a way to get back to the parallel world?"

"I don't think so, Jack," the Doctor speaks up, breaking his silence. "Like Bad Wolf said, two heads are better than one. This is something that only Donna and I can do."

"Well, what are we waiting for, time boy? Let's get to work!" Donna replies, ready for action.

The Doctor gives her a grin and leaps to his feet. "Ok, everyone out. We have a rescue to plan!"

With that, the Doctor ushers a very stunned Jack, Martha and Mickey out of the TARDIS and locks the door behind them.

*********************************************************

"Where are we?" Donna asks the Doctor a few minutes later.

They are standing in the doorway of a rather small room. There are no furnishings at all, just white roundels on the walls and a smooth white floor.

"This is the Zero Room," the Doctor tells her.

"Ah yes, I recognise it from your memories now. But how can this room help us?" Donna gives him a puzzled look.

"I want us to link minds. In order to do this we need total silence and no disruptions. Once I close this door, nothing and no one can get in."

"Ok, let's do this then," Donna nods her agreement.

She moves into the centre of the room and sits cross-legged on the floor. The Doctor follows her, closing the door behind him. She glances behind him. There is no sign of the door, no hinges or door handle, nothing.

"How do we get out again?" she asks in a startled voice.

"The door will reappear once we're finished. Trust me." He gives her a reassuring smile as he moves over to sit opposite her.

Donna gives him a nod and a smile. "How do we do this then?" she asks.

"Just like before. I'm going to look into your mind, but this time you will be able to look into mine as well. We both have the same memories, but you may notice something that I miss, what with your 'extra bit of human' to make you different!" the Doctor teases her.

"Oi, watch it space boy!" Donna exclaims.

"Sorry, sorry. Just trying to put you at ease," the Doctor says, holding his hands up in front of himself in mock surrender.

"Now then," he says, all joking forgotten, "just put your fingers to my temples and I'll do the same to you. We are going to be levitating, but don't worry, we won't fall."

Donna closes her eyes and places her fingers against his temples as instructed. The Doctor mirrors her movements and a moment later she feels herself rising up off the floor.

"Open your mind to me, Donna," the Doctor whispers quietly.

She drops her mental barriers and senses him entering her mind. It feels just like the last time, a warm, calming presence. He 'shows' her how to enter his mind in return. She finds that his mind is totally open to her, nothing is hidden from her. Then again, why would it be? She shares the same memories as him.

The Doctor takes her 'hand' mentally and shows her what sort of information they are looking for. She 'nods' her understanding and starts sifting through his memories, aware that he is doing the same with hers.

All sense of time is irrelevant in the Zero Room. They could have been there for hours or days. They keep searching, looking for that elusive memory that will give them the solution to travelling safely across parallel universes.

Donna finds a thread of a memory that seems promising. She follows the thread, getting more excited the further she goes. When she reaches the end, she knows that she has found what they are looking for. She 'grabs' the Doctor's 'hand' and shows him what she has found.

"Donna, brilliant!" the Doctor shouts, breaking contact with her mind. "I would never have thought of that, not in a million years!"

She opens her eyes and notices that they are sitting on the floor again.

The Doctor jumps to his feet, pulling Donna with him. He grabs her up in a big hug, his smile nearly reaching his ears.

"Let's go tell the others what you have found. We also need to get the TARDIS to let Rose know. We'll soon have her back with us!" the Doctor beams.

*********************************************************

"And so all we have to do is recalibrate the extrapolator shielding, add the dimension stabiliser and reprogram the TARDIS's warp engines. Should take a couple of days," the Doctor finishes explaining to Jack, Mickey and Martha.

They are all seated in the conference room.

"It would probably be faster if we had K-9 to help reprogram the TARDIS," Donna offers.

"Great idea," Jack agrees. "I'll get onto Sarah-Jane right now. She's in town at the moment, working on a project for me and I know she has K-9 with her." He heads off in the direction of his office at a run.

"What can I do to help, boss?" Mickey asks, not wanting to be left out of the action.

"I need your help calibrating the dimension stabiliser," the Doctor tells him. He is grateful that Mickey is willing to help him, especially after all they have been through.

"Donna is going to take care of the extrapolator. Martha, can you give her a hand?" the Doctor asks.

"Of course, Doctor. Anything to get Rose home where she belongs," Martha tells him, giving him a wink.

"Ok, boys and girls," Jack says, entering the room. "Sarah-Jane and K-9 will be here first thing in the morning. Let's all get an early night. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

*********************************************************

"Programming complete, Master," K-9 informs the Doctor.

"Good boy, K-9," the Doctor says, giving K-9 a pat on the head.

He looks over to Sarah-Jane, who is sitting on the jump seat. "Thanks for bringing him to help," he says to her quietly.

"My pleasure, Doctor. I just hope you don't blow it this time," she scolds him.

"I won't, believe me!" he assures her. "Besides, I don't want to find out what those consequences are that Bad Wolf mentioned. Somehow I don't think they would be very pleasant."

"You really do love her, don't you, Doctor?" Sarah-Jane asks in a forlorn voice.

"More than anything," the Doctor replies softly.

He notices the tears forming in her eyes and goes over to give her a hug.

"I'm so sorry I left you behind, Sarah-Jane. But it could never have been like this between you and me."

"I know that now," she chokes. "That doesn't stop it from hurting." She starts sobbing in earnest.

The Doctor searches for something to say but fails miserably. He settles for holding her, rubbing his hands up and down her back and making soothing noises.

After a few minutes her sobs turn to sniffles. He offers her a handkerchief, which she takes gratefully.

"You must think I'm a fool," she tells him with a half-hearted smile.

"Never," the Doctor assures her.

"I'm fine now. Sorry about that. Got a bit carried away." She forces a bright smile onto her face. "Let's see how the others are getting on." She hops down from the jump seat and heads for the door.

*********************************************************


	12. Chapter 12 The Reunion

The Doctor, Sarah-Jane and K-9 join the others in the main area of the Hub.

"How's it going, Mickey?" the Doctor asks.

"Nearly finished, boss. Just a few minor adjustments and it'll be ready to go," Mickey replies without looking up from his work.

"Donna, Martha, how are things looking your end?" the Doctor asks, bounding over to where they are working.

"All finished here, Doctor," Donna says, giving him a grin. "You're like a little kid waiting to open his presents on Christmas morning!"

"Well I can't help it if I'm impatient to be off. This is the start of a brand new adventure for me. Everything's going to be new and exciting. No more loneliness for me…" he trails off, noticing Sarah-Jane behind him.

"Right then," he continues, clearing his throat of the frog that has somehow lodged itself there, "let's get this show on the road."

Mickey finishes his adjustments and everyone pitches in to get the equipment installed in the TARDIS in record time.

"That's it, boss. We're ready to go," Mickey announces.

"What do you mean by 'we'?" the Doctor queries, shooting him a confused look.

"I'm coming with you. Don't you even think about trying to stop me. I just want to make sure you don't mess things up again," Mickey states, not giving the Doctor a chance to argue.

"Ok, ok, that's fine with me," the Doctor tells him, holding his hands up in surrender. "Anyone else like to come with us?"

"I thought you'd never ask," grins Jack, coming down the stairs to join them.

"Martha, one last trip?" the Doctor asks with a cheeky grin.

"Oh why not. For old times sake. As long as you promise me we won't get stuck there," Martha accepts with a laugh.

"Oi, what do you mean by that?" the Doctor says, pretending to be hurt by her remark.

"You know exactly what I mean," Martha grins, swatting him on the arm.

"Don't worry, Martha," Donna pipes up. "Now that we have the dimension stabiliser we'll be able to move between the two universes safely."

"What about you, Sarah-Jane?" the Doctor asks her quietly. "Would you like to come with us?"

"Not this time, Doctor. But thank you," she tells him.

He can see that she is still battling to keep her emotions in check.

"Actually, K-9 and I had better be off. We've got work to do," she states firmly.

The Doctor wraps her up in a big hug, holding her tightly for a few moments. "Thank you," he whispers to her.

"You're more than welcome. I really do wish you and Rose all the best. Take care of her, Doctor, and yourself," she whispers back to him.

He releases her with a nod and she says her goodbyes to everyone else.

"Come on K-9," she calls, and heads for the lift.

"Affirmative, Mistress," K-9 replies.

"Oh, and Doctor," she says, turning to look at him one last time. "You don't deserve her."

"I know," he replies softly.

*********************************************************

"They're coming," Rose announces, running into the kitchen.

She pulls out a chair at the table and pauses to catch her breath.

"Don't tell me we have to meet them on that flippin' beach again!" Jackie states, not even trying to keep her annoyance from showing.

"No Mum. Now that the Doctor and Donna have figured out how to safely cross the void they can land wherever they want to. They're coming here. Should be here some time this afternoon."

Rose cannot keep the excitement from her voice. Her eyes are shining. There is a huge smile on her face. She hasn't been this happy in such a long time.

Pete shoots Jackie a warning look. He doesn't want her to say anything to spoil Rose's obvious happiness.

Rose had told them about making contact with first Donna and then the Doctor. Bad Wolf had allowed her to keep the memories of what she had said to the Doctor, and she had been overjoyed that she would be able to spend the rest of her life with him.

"What about Don?" Pete asks. "What does the Doctor want us to do with him?"

"The Doctor said to leave him where he is. As he still has amnesia he isn't a threat at the moment. He'll figure something out when he gets here," Rose assures him.

"Rose, honey, have you really thought about this? Is this really what you want?" Jackie asks her.

"I want this more than anything in the world, Mum," Rose replies, silently pleading with her to understand. "I love him and I can't live without him."

Jackie gives her a half-hearted smile. "Well as long as he takes care of you, like he promised me."

"He will, Mum. You heard what Bad Wolf told him. He wouldn't be game not to!" Rose laughs. "Besides, we'll be able to come and visit now."

"You make sure that you do," Jackie pretends to scold her.

She gets up from the table and goes over to Rose, giving her a big hug.

"I just want you to be happy, sweetheart," she tells her.

"And I will be, Mum. Being with the Doctor makes me happy. That's all I've ever wanted," Rose replies with certainty.

"Well I hope he hurries up and gets here. I hate being kept waiting!" Jackie states firmly.

*********************************************************

A few hours later finds Jackie, Pete and Rose sitting in the lounge room. They are all pretending to watch a movie on TV.

Tony is at a friend's house. Jackie doesn't want him to get upset when Rose leaves. He adores his big sister. They will tell him after she has gone. At least she will be able to visit.

The movie ends and another one starts.

"Anyone for a cuppa?" Jackie asks, desperate for something to do to pass the time.

"I'll have one…," Rose starts to reply, but she is interrupted by the familiar sound of the TARDIS materialising.

The engines die down and there in the lounge room is that old blue Police box that she knows and loves.

She jumps to her feet, unable to contain herself. Her heart is racing, her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are sparkling. "He's here," she whispers to herself.

*********************************************************

Things are slightly different inside the TARDIS.

Everyone is heading down the ramp towards the doors when Jack notices that the Doctor isn't with them.

"Come on, Doctor. What are you waiting for? Rose is out there…," he starts to say. He breaks off when he turns and sees the Doctor still standing at the console, gripping it tightly with both hands. His head is down.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" Martha asks, the concern evident in her voice.

They all move back towards the console.

The Doctor lets out a deep sigh and looks up at them. There are tears in his eyes and when he speaks, his voice is shaking with emotion.

"What if she doesn't want me?" he whispers.

"Oh I love that. Look at you, the mighty Time Lord. Afraid of being rejected by a woman!" Mickey laughs.

"Mickey, don't, just don't!" Donna warns him, shooting him a stern look.

Mickey shuts up immediately. That look is enough to scare anyone.

She goes over to the Doctor and puts an arm around his shoulders.

"Come on Doctor. This is Rose we are talking about. The same Rose who crossed universes to get back to you not that long ago. Of course she still wants you," Donna tries to reassure him.

"Even after everything I've done to her? Leaving her on that beach with _him_?" he spits out, clearly angry with himself now.

"Yes, Doctor. Even after all that. Now get out there and tell Rose that you love her. She's waited long enough to hear it from you!" Donna orders him, giving him a push towards the doors.

*********************************************************

Rose is getting impatient. "What's taking him so long?" she mutters to herself.

Finally the door opens and the Doctor steps out. He appears to be hesitating, as if unsure of his welcome.

Rose takes matters into her own hands and launches herself at him. He grabs her up in his arms, spinning her around, holding her tightly. He never wants to let her go again.

He finally lowers her to the ground but keeps his arms around her. "Rose Tyler, I love you," he tells her, before he loses his nerve.

"Quite right, too," she replies, pulling his head down closer. Before he can respond she locks her lips to his, just as she has dreamed of doing so many times.

They are oblivious to everyone and everything around them. Time has stopped for them. Eventually Rose has to come up for air, but she never releases her hold on him.

"So it seems that you're stuck with me forever after all," she whispers. "That is if you still want me?" a hint of doubt creeps into her voice.

"Oh I want, believe me," he breathes out on a sigh, lowering his head to capture her lips again, leaving her in no doubt as to his feelings.

"Don't I get a hello kiss as well?" Jack pipes up, bringing them back to reality.

Rose turns in the Doctor's arms and sees Jack, Donna, Mickey and Martha, all grinning at her and the Doctor. Pete and Jackie have joined them, Jackie having introduced Martha and Donna to Pete.

Rose reluctantly breaks away from the Doctor and gives Jack a hug and a peck on the cheek. She then does the same with the others.

"I'm so glad that you got your memory back, Donna," Rose says to her.

"So am I," Donna replies. "And lucky for you too. We probably wouldn't be here otherwise."

"Oh I would have found a way, eventually," the Doctor says, coming over to join them. He puts his arm possessively around Rose's waist. She smiles up at him adoringly.

Jackie and Pete head over to them. Rose feels the Doctor stiffen a bit at the thought of facing her mother. She grabs his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Hello Jackie, Pete," the Doctor greets them.

"Good to see you again, Doctor. Safe trip?" Pete asks him.

"Not too bad now that we've got the necessary equipment," the Doctor replies.

"You must tell me how it works. It might come in handy at Torchwood," Pete remarks, ever the businessman.

"I don't think so, Pete. This technology is only for Time Lords. It would be too dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands," the Doctor states, shaking his head.

He turns to Jackie, unable to ignore her any longer.

"Hello, Jackie. How're things….," he starts to ask her when, whack, she slaps him across the cheek. "Nothing has changed then," he thinks to himself.

Aloud he says in a puzzled voice, "ow, what was that for?"

"That was for leaving my daughter with that maniac," Jackie fumes at him. "He could have killed her!"

"I'm sorry, Jackie. I didn't know he was so unstable. I would never do anything to harm Rose, you should know that. I promised you I would look after her and I will," the Doctor says, trying to redeem himself.

"Ok, Mum. You can calm down now. Everything worked out for the best. Let's try to forget it ever happened," Rose states calmly, trying to relieve the tension.

Donna, seeing what has been taking place, decides to rescue the Doctor. She makes her way over to them.

"Sorry to interrupt you, but Doctor, what are you going to do about Don?" she enquires.

*********************************************************


	13. Chapter 13 What About Don

"Yes Doctor, what are you going to do about Don? We can't keep him locked up in that cell forever," Pete demands to know, seeing an opportunity to break the tension between Jackie and the Doctor and seizing it with both hands.

"Oh really!" exclaims the Doctor. "I would have thought that was exactly what you wanted to do with him. Keep him locked up like a caged animal and experiment on him." The anger is evident in the Doctor's voice. "Isn't that what Torchwood does best?"

Pete holds his hands up in front of him in a defensive gesture. "I've told you before, that was the old Torchwood. It's not like that now. I won't allow it," he states firmly. "Don is fine; no one has harmed him in any way, well, except for Jackie, that is."

"I had no choice, he was going to hurt Rose," Jackie protests, defending her actions.

"I know about that, Jackie," the Doctor says calmly, "and I thank you for keeping Rose safe. I honestly didn't think things would turn out the way they did. I'm sorry. Will you ever forgive me, any of you?" he asks, giving first Jackie, then Pete and finally Rose a pleading look.

Silence hangs over them like a cloud for a few minutes. They are all too stunned to speak. The Doctor admitting he is wrong is one thing, but begging their forgiveness? It is unheard of!

Jackie is the first to regain her senses. She takes a step towards the Doctor. He flinches back instinctively, expecting another slap. To his surprise, Jackie throws her arms around him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He slowly returns the hug, not used to this reaction from Jackie Tyler.

Still hugging him tightly, Jackie says, "I suppose I can forgive you. At least you came back for Rose. She's not the same without you." This last is said on a sob.

She releases him and he lets her go, an embarrassed flush beginning to spread over his cheeks.

"Thank you, Jackie. That means a lot to me. I promise I'll take good care of her this time," the Doctor assures her.

"Well you had better make sure you do, because it won't be me you will have to answer to!" Jackie states firmly.

"What do you mean by that?" the Doctor asks her, slightly puzzled.

"Rose told us what Bad Wolf said. I think I'd be afraid of her too," Jackie teases him.

"Oh yes, her, she's…." the Doctor starts to say.

"Don't even start, Doctor!" Rose interrupts him. "She's the one that made this all possible in the first place. Try to show a little respect."

"I'm sorry. I forget that she is there. I'll just have to get used to it is suppose," he sighs.

"I forgive you as well, Doctor," Pete says. "Just keep Rose safe, that's all I ask."

"That I will, Pete. And thank you for taking care of her all this time and loving her like a daughter," the Doctor says, offering Pete his hand.

Pete ignores his hand and surprises the Doctor by giving him a hug. He senses that the Doctor is uncomfortable so releases him quickly, clearing his throat to cover his own uneasiness.

The Doctor turns to Rose, a questioning look in his eyes. He raises an eyebrow at her, seeking an answer from her.

She stares back at him, showing no emotion whatsoever.

He is momentarily taken aback. He was sure from the welcome she gave him that everything was okay between them. Was he wrong?

He peers at her more closely. It is then that he notices the twinkle in her eye. She can't help it any longer. Her tongue strays to the corner of her mouth and she grins at him.

He grins back at her, and then moves to take her in his arms again.

"I forgive you, Doctor," she whispers in his ear. "Just see that it doesn't happen again. I won't be held responsible for the consequences!" she teases him.

"Oi, spaceman!" Donna interrupts. "What about Don? Have you forgotten about him already?"

Rose and the Doctor spring apart. Donna has a way of capturing everyone's attention, what with that brash voice of hers.

"Yes, well, I was getting to him," the Doctor apologises, looking slightly embarrassed.

Everyone in the room is looking at him expectantly.

"And?" Donna prompts him.

"And, well, I really haven't any idea. Pete," the Doctor turns to face him, "what's his status?"

"He still has amnesia. We haven't told him much, just his name and that he was in an accident," Pete confirms.

"I have an idea," Donna says excitedly.

"Let's hear it then," the Doctor tells her.

"Why don't you use the Chameleon Arch on him? That way there will be no chance of him remembering anything and being a danger," she states, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Donna, brilliant!" the Doctor yells excitedly. He goes over to her and gives her a quick hug.

"Well, yes, Time Lord brain and all," she says, secretly glowing at his praise.

"Can I offer a suggestion?" Martha asks.

All eyes turn to her.

"Go on, Martha," the Doctor nods.

"Well, remember when we were hiding from the Family and you became human? You fell in love with Joan Redfern. What if this universe has a Joan Redfern and she is a widow? Could we take Don there? Maybe he could spend the rest of his life with her, just like you dreamed of doing?" Martha finishes quietly, giving Rose an apologetic look.

Rose just gapes at her in confusion.

"Oh, Martha Jones, you are just brilliant!" the Doctor exclaims excitedly.

He stops when he notices the confused look on Rose's face. Jack, Mickey, Pete and Jackie are all wearing similar expressions. He decides to explain to everyone about the time he spent as a human, even though it will cause him pain remembering what happened.

When he finishes he notices that Rose and Jackie have tears pouring down their cheeks.

"Oh, Doctor, I'm so sorry. That must have been a terrible decision to have to make," Jackie sobs.

"It was, but it had to be done," the Doctor tells her softly.

He turns to Rose. "Rose?" he says her name as a question.

"It's ok, Doctor. I understand why you did it. You had no choice. I'm fine. Just sad that you had to go through that," she assures him.

He gives her a comforting hug. "I'm fine now I've got you back," he reassures her.

He turns to Pete, all business again. "Pete, can you search your records and see if there is any mention of Joan Redfern. She was the Matron at Farringham School, England, in 1913. And she was a widow."

"I'll get someone on it right away," Pete assures him, turning away to make the call.

"Come on you lot, no point standing around here all day. Let's go into the dining room and have something to eat," Jackie says, recovering her composure and shooing them out of the lounge room.

*********************************************************


	14. Chapter 14 Righting Wrongs

They have finished dinner and moved into the lounge room for coffee when Pete's phone rings.

He excuses himself and goes into his office to take the call.

All conversation ceases. Everyone is waiting expectantly for the outcome of this call.

Pete returns a few minutes later. They can tell by the look on his face that it's not good news. Everyone remains silent as he takes his seat.

"Come on Pete, out with it!" Jackie demands. "Don't keep us in suspense."

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but there is no record of a Joan Redfern having lived around the time you gave me." Pete hangs his head, clearly disappointed that he doesn't have better news.

"Are you sure? Have your people triple checked the records?" Jack questions him, clearly used to being in command.

"Yes, I'm sure. This is obviously one of the differences between your world and mine. Joan Redfern never existed in this world. So we're back to square one. What do we do with Don now?" Pete is clearly at a loss.

"Well we can still use the Chameleon Arch on him to keep him from being a threat, can't we?" Donna asks.

"There is that," replies the Doctor. "But I don't want to leave him here, alone. I want him somewhere where I can keep an eye on him." He stands up and starts pacing around the room.

"What about your Joan, Doctor? Couldn't we leave him with her, before you went there?" Rose asks quietly.

"That's a great idea…" Martha starts to say, but she is interrupted by the Doctor.

"No we can't, Rose. It would mess with the timelines. I thought I taught you better than that!" the Doctor exclaims, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"There is a way," Donna counters, giving the Doctor a stern look.

"Oh no, Donna. No way. That wouldn't be fair to her. Not after what I did to her," the Doctor says, shaking his head.

"What are you talking about?" Rose enquires, having trouble following the conversation between the two of them.

"To keep the timelines as they are, we would need to take Don back after the Doctor and Martha left, not before. That way Joan would still have met the Doctor and Martha and been through the attack from the Family," Donna explains patiently.

"So what's the problem?" Rose asks, turning to look at the Doctor.

"I broke her heart," the Doctor says quietly. "I don't think it's fair on her if I go back there and ask her to take Don off my hands. Besides, she probably hates me for what I did." He lets out a sigh and hangs his head.

"_You _didn't break her heart, Doctor. John Smith did that," Martha states firmly.

"It doesn't make any difference," the Doctor replies. "She was hurt once and I won't put her through that again."

"Why don't you let her decide that for herself?" Rose demands. "Haven't you learnt anything from all this mess? You can't go around making other people's decisions for them." She goes over to the Doctor, takes his hand in hers and squeezes it gently.

The Doctor can see that he is outnumbered on this matter. He gives Rose a hug and kisses her on the top of the head. "Ok, we'll try it your way for a change. But don't blame me if this goes badly."

*********************************************************

"Won't this hurt him like it did you?" Martha asks, shooting the Doctor a questioning look. "I thought you were going to die."

They are in the TARDIS, preparing for Don's arrival.

"Nowhere near it. He is already part human. Plus he will be sedated," the Doctor replies.

"Ok everyone, let's get this show on the road," Jack announces, entering the TARDIS.

Behind him are Mickey and Rose, pushing Don on a hospital bed. They push him up the ramp and over to the spot indicated by the Doctor.

Don is out for the count, hooked up to an IV and heart rate monitor.

Martha goes over to check the monitor. "He's all set," she informs the Doctor.

Rose goes over to the door leading to the interior of the TARDIS. "Donna, you can come out now," she calls.

Donna appears a moment later. Pete and Jackie follow her.

"So this Chameleon Arch thing, it's going to make him forget everything, right?" Jackie asks.

"Everything except for when I was John Smith," the Doctor informs her. "He will need those memories if this has any chance of working."

"This won't affect me in any way will it, Doctor? I mean, I have that link to him? I won't lose my memories will I?" Donna is clearly worried.

"No Donna, you'll be fine. It won't affect your link or your memories," the Doctor assures her.

The Doctor moves over to the bed. Martha passes him the Chameleon Arch and he gently places it on Don's head.

"Stand back everyone," he tells them, doing the same himself.

At his nod, Martha flips a switch on the console and the process begins.

All eyes are on Don. He is still unconscious but is moving about on the bed as if he is in pain. The heart rate monitor rises a little, but not enough to cause concern.

"How much longer, Doctor?" Martha asks.

The Doctor checks a screen on the console. "Nearly done," he announces.

As he finishes speaking a steady beeping starts coming from the Chameleon Arch. There is also a green light flashing on it.

"That's it. All done," the Doctor states, moving over to disconnect Don from the equipment.

"How long until he wakes up and we know if it worked?" Mickey asks.

"About half an hour," the Doctor replies. "Better get him to his room. I don't want him waking up here. The less he sees of the TARDIS the better."

"Right you are, Boss," Mickey salutes him.

He and Rose take their positions at the bed. Donna opens interior door for them and they push the bed down the corridor to the room that has been set aside for Don.

Martha follows them so that she can remove the IV and heart rate monitor. It wouldn't do for Don to wake up and find such advanced medical equipment in his room!

*********************************************************

"Where am I?" Don asks in a shaky voice. He is still groggy.

Donna, who has been sitting in a chair beside his bed, gets up and takes his hand.

"You had an accident but everything's going to be fine now. Can you tell me your name?" she asks him. She is holding her breath, awaiting his reply.

"I'm John Smith. I'm a teacher at Farringham School. What kind of accident? And who are you?" he questions her.

Donna lets out her breath quietly, not wanting him to see how relieved she is by his answer.

"I'm Donna, Donna Noble. There was a bit of trouble at the school. You got a bump on the head. You've been out to it for a couple of days," she explains to him.

"Where's Martha and Joan, I mean Nurse Redfern?" he corrects himself.

"Martha will be along in a moment. Nurse Redfern has other patients to see to. She might pop in to see you a bit later," Donna offers. "I'll just go and let the doctor know you're awake."

*********************************************************

"He thinks he's John Smith and he's asking for Martha and Nurse Redfern. He didn't recognise me at all. It worked!" Donna finishes explaining.

"He's expecting a doctor to check on him. Who's going to do that?" Rose asks.

"Well it can't be any of us girls," Martha replies. "Back in 1913 women weren't allowed to become doctors. Plus he remembers me."

"And it can't be Jack," Donna pipes up.

"Why not?" Jack says, sounding offended.

"Because you're too pretty to be a doctor, that's why!" Donna exclaims, laughing when she sees Jack blushing.

"Pete, would you mind doing it?" the Doctor asks him. "I'd do it myself but that would raise too many questions. I don't want him to see me at all, if I can help it."

"All right then," Pete agrees with a sigh. "Just tell me what I have to do so I don't look like an idiot."

*********************************************************

Once Don is settled, having seen 'Dr' Tyler and Martha, everyone gathers in the console room.

"Ok, Pete, Jackie, do you want to come with us for this?" the Doctor asks them.

"Can you guarantee you'll be able to get us back here, and not on that bleedin' beach in Norway?" Jackie demands to know. There is a slight twinkle in her eye, though.

"Travel between our two universes is safe now, Jackie," Donna rushes to assure her.

"It'll be fine, Mum. Plus we get to spend some more time together," Rose adds.

"Well as long as it is. I've got Tony to get back to, you know," Jackie reminds her.

"We'll be there and back before you know it," the Doctor finally gets a word in.

"Ok, let's do this!" exclaims Jack.

He takes his position at the console. Donna, Rose, Martha and Mickey follow his lead.

"Jackie, Pete, if you'd like to take a seat," the Doctor says, ushering them over to the jump seat.

He takes his place at the console, a wide grin on his face. "And off we go!" he announces, throwing the lever that sends them spinning into the Vortex.

*********************************************************


	15. Chapter 15 Joan

Joan is still in the cottage where he left her. She is standing beside the dining table, clutching John Smith's journal to her chest. Tears are pouring down her cheeks as she ponders what might have been.

She hears an unfamiliar wheezing, groaning noise coming from outside and steels herself to face whatever is coming. So many strange events have occurred over the past few days that nothing would surprise her now.

But she never expected to see the Doctor again, and yet there he is, large as life, leaning against the door frame.

"Hello, Joan," he says softly, moving into the room.

She is too stunned to speak, just stares at him in shock. She finally comes to her senses, straightens her back and says, "Doctor, I thought I told you to leave."

"You did, and I left. But I've returned and I need your help," the Doctor tells her.

"How can I possibly help you, and why would I want to after what you…," she trails off as Martha, Rose and Donna enter.

Joan stares at Rose in amazement. "You're her, the girl in the journal!" she exclaims.

Rose gives her a blank look. "I'm sorry; I don't know what you're talking about."

Joan quickly thumbs through the journal until she finds the drawing of Rose. "Here," Joan announces triumphantly, showing the drawing to Rose.

Rose turns to the Doctor, a questioning look on her face.

"I drew that when I was John Smith," he tells her. "Even though my memories were stored in the watch, I couldn't forget you."

"And who are you?" Joan asks, turning to Donna.

"I'm sorry, let me introduce you all. Joan Redfern, meet Rose Tyler and Donna Noble. And I'm sure you remember Martha," the Doctor says, completing the introductions.

"Pleased to meet you, Joan," Rose says with a nod.

"Same here," Donna tells her. "The Doctor has told us all about you."

"How can that be, he only just left here?" Joan questions.

"How about we all sit down and I'll make us a nice cup of tea," Donna suggests. "Then we can explain everything to you."

***********************************************************

Joan listens to them in stunned silence as they explain everything that has happened since she last saw the Doctor and Martha.

"So Don now has all my memories from when I was John Smith, except for the part where I changed back and what happened at the school. We told him there'd been some trouble at the school and that he got a bump on the head," the Doctor finishes.

"How has this got anything to do with me?" Joan asks him.

"He's awake and asking for you. I thought, I mean, I hoped that you might still care for John Smith. He's too dangerous to be left on his own. He needs you…," the Doctor trails off. This is a very embarrassing situation for him.

"You said he's dangerous. Why would I want to be involved with someone like that?" Joan asks angrily. "And besides, what if he regains his memory? He'll just want to do what you did and leave."

"He's not a physical threat to anyone now," Donna is quick to reassure her.

"And the Doctor has destroyed the watch, so there is no possibility of him regaining his memory," Rose adds.

"Why me?" Joan whispers, giving the Doctor a pleading look.

The Doctor gives her a tender look. Tears are welling in his eyes. "Because I loved you when I was John Smith. I know I hurt you when I changed back, but I couldn't be the man you wanted me to be. He can be. You can have that life with him. This is my way of making it up to you," he explains in a shaky voice.

"This is a lot to take in," Joan tells him. "Can I see him before I make my decision?"

"Of course you can. Martha and Donna will take you. I don't want him to see Rose or myself, just in case," the Doctor tells her. "We'll wait here for you."

Martha, Donna and Joan get up from the table and move over to the front door.

Donna opens the door and Joan lets out a surprised gasp at seeing the TARDIS for the first time. "It's just like the drawing in the journal," she breathes.

"And just so you don't get any more surprises, it's bigger on the inside," Martha tells her.

"Are you ready for this?" Donna asks Joan, concern evident in her voice.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Joan states, squaring her shoulders and straightening her back.

***********************************************************

"Oh my," Joan utters upon entering the TARDIS.

"That was my first thought as well," Martha assures her. "It takes a bit of getting used to."

They head up the ramp to the console. Mickey, Jackie and Pete are waiting for them.

Donna makes the introductions, explaining that Pete has been playing doctor.

"How is he?" Joan asks.

"I checked on him a few minutes ago and he was sleeping peacefully," Pete tells her, sounding just like a doctor.

"Please take me to him," Joan requests.

"Come with me," Pete nods.

He ushers Joan through the door and down the corridor. John's room is only a few doors down. Pete opens the door and stands aside, giving Joan a clear view of the patient.

"He looks the same," she whispers.

"Yes, it's rather spooky," Pete admits. "It took me a while to get used to him. Did they explain to you that he has no memory of what happened at the school?"

"Yes, they did. I think I'll just go and sit with him for a while," Joan tells him.

"That's fine. We'll be in the console room if you need anything," Pete assures her.

Joan nods her thanks and moves into the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She sits down in the chair beside the bed, staring at its occupant in wonder.

He is still asleep.

She reaches over and tenderly brushes a lock of his hair out of his eyes.

He stirs slightly, mumbles something under his breath, then settles again.

Joan still can't quite believe that he is real. She picks up his hand and cradles it tenderly in both of hers. She checks his pulse, more from habit than anything else. It is strong and steady, very reassuring. She lowers her head to their joined hands and starts to weep silently.

It takes her a few moments to realise that he is speaking to her, offering her words of comfort. Then she feels his other hand rubbing her shoulder.

She raises her head, blinking away the tears.

"Joan, please don't cry. I'll be fine, now that you're here," he assures her in a soothing voice.

She stares deeply into his eyes and knows she is lost. She can see his love for her shining brightly. He may be a different man but he is still the man she loves.

"Oh John," she scolds, "don't you ever scare me like that again."

"I'll try not to, I promise," he soothes.

"I had better let you get some more rest," she tells him, attempting to release his hand.

"Please don't leave me," he asks her, sounding like a little boy.

"All right, just a little longer," she agrees.

He relaxes back down in the bed. "Can you tell me what happened?"

She nods and explains the events at the school, leaving out the part about the Doctor.

"So much bloodshed and horror. At least it's over now," he says when she has finished.

"It will take some time for the village to recover. We'll never forget what happened but we will move on," Joan states.

"That we will," John agrees with her. "Now, when am I going to be allowed to go home?"

"Why don't you have a rest and I'll go and check with the doctor," Joan tells him.

He nods his agreement and reluctantly releases her hand.

She leans over, gives him a kiss on the cheek then rushes from the room; her own cheeks flaming red with embarrassment at her brazen behaviour.

***********************************************************


	16. Chapter 16 Rewards

Rose and the Doctor look up expectantly as Joan hurries into the cottage.

She is closely followed by Donna and Martha.

They all take a seat around the table. All eyes are on Joan.

"I don't understand how this happened, and I probably never will. But that man in there _is _John Smith!" Joan says in a rush. She takes a deep breath and continues in a calmer manner. "Doctor, I would like to say that I am happy to have him stay, but I still have concerns. I know that you said the watch was destroyed, but what if something goes wrong? What then?"

"Well, I could …," the Doctor starts to reply, but he is interrupted by Donna.

"I'll stay here with you, to keep an eye on him, so to speak," Donna tells them. Her tone implies that this is not open for discussion.

"I can't ask you to do that, Donna," the Doctor replies.

"You're not asking me, I'm telling _you_, space boy!" Donna exclaims. "I feel responsible for him; after all, he came from me."

Rose, who has been watching this exchange with interest, suddenly stands up. They all look up at her and notice that her eyes are glowing with a golden light.

"Here we go again!" Donna sighs.

"What's happening to her?" Martha asks, the concern evident in her voice.

"Bad Wolf," the Doctor tells her.

"Don't worry, we've seen her before. It's nothing to worry about, I hope," Donna adds.

Rose/Bad Wolf moves to the door and beckons the others to follow her.

Once they are all outside she asks the Doctor to have everyone except John leave the TARDIS.

He rushes to obey and soon Jackie, Pete, Mickey and Jack are assembled with the others.

"Well hello there, pretty lady," Jack says to Joan.

"Jack, stop it," the Doctor orders him, shooting him a stern look.

"What? I was just saying hello!" Jack pouts.

"When you have finished," Bad Wolf announces impatiently. She is standing in front of them with her hands on her hips. Her whole body is now aglow with the same golden colour as her eyes.

Jack ceases his grumbling immediately.

Jackie is staring at Rose/Bad Wolf, her mouth slightly open. Even though she has seen this before, it is still a shock.

"I have called you all together to witness an important event. Donna Noble, most faithful companion to the Doctor," Bad Wolf says, turning to face Donna, "your selfless offer to remain here has proven your worthiness."

"Worthiness for what?" Donna asks, a confused look on her face.

"Your worthiness to be called a Time Lady. You already have a Time Lord brain, now you have earned the right to be a full Time Lord, with all that entails," Bad Wolf tells her.

There are gasps from Jackie and Martha at this. The Doctor is uncharacteristically silent and Donna herself is too stunned to speak.

"You are to be the first of a new generation. The Time Lords will be reborn with you as their role model. Gallifrey may have been lost but it can be rebuilt. The universe needs you, Donna Noble. Will you accept this responsibility?" Bad Wolf asks.

"I don't know what to say," Donna replies. She is clearly overwhelmed by what she is being offered. She turns to the Doctor, seeking his advice. "Doctor?"

"Oh Donna, that's just brilliant! I knew there was something else that you had to do, I just couldn't figure out what it was." The Doctor is grinning at her but she also notices the tears of joy that are running down his cheeks. She knows how much it would mean to him if Gallifrey were to be rebuilt and the Time Lords reborn.

She turns back to Bad Wolf, squares her shoulders and says, "I accept."

There is no argument, no comments about how she is just a 'temp from Chiswick'. Donna Noble has come a long way and she knows her own worth now.

"Very well," Bad Wolf nods. "Come closer, this will only take a moment."

Donna moves to stand in front of her. Bad Wolf places her hands against Donna's temples. "Will this hurt?" Donna asks, her voice only shaking slightly.

"You won't feel a thing. Now close your eyes and clear your mind," Bad Wolf instructs.

Donna does as requested. All she feels is warmth and a slight tingling sensation at her temples. It lasts for a few seconds, then it is over. Bad Wolf removes her hands and Donna opens her eyes.

"I don't feel any different. No second heart or anything," Donna remarks.

"Your second heart won't appear until after your first regeneration," Bad Wolf advises her. "Everything else is in place. The Doctor can explain your other abilities to you. And now, what is a Time Lady without a TARDIS?"

Bad Wolf points towards the Doctor's TARDIS. They all turn to look. There, standing proudly beside the Doctor's TARDIS, is another Police Box, only this one is ginger, to match Donna's hair!

***********************************************************


	17. Chapter 17 New Beginnings

Everyone is standing there in stunned silence, staring at Donna's TARDIS.

"Well come on boys and girls, don't just stand there. Let's go inside and check it out!" Jack exclaims excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet, unable to contain his eagerness.

Donna looks at Bad Wolf, who just nods her head. "You might need this," Bad Wolf tells her, handing over a shining red key on a silver chain.

"Thank you, for everything," Donna whispers to her, wiping away the tears that have started to spill down her face.

Bad Wolf sighs tiredly. "It is done. Everything is as it should be." With that, the golden glow slowly fades, leaving an exhausted Rose in its wake.

Rose stumbles and a concerned Doctor rushes over to steady her, placing his arm around her waist, holding her close against him.

"I'm alright," she assures him, but she doesn't pull away from him. If anything, she leans even more heavily into him.

"Well, Donna. Look at you. A Time Lady!" Rose says with a smile. "Let's go check out your TARDIS then, before Jack wets himself!"

Everyone laughs at that comment. Jack just glares at them.

Donna moves over to her TARDIS, takes a deep breath and inserts the key in the lock. It turns easily, the doors swinging open, wide and welcoming. It hits her almost immediately, a tidal wave of emotions, love, welcome and above all, joy. She is almost knocked off her feet by the power of it.

Jack is quickly at Donna's side, steadying her. "What just happened?" he asks, turning to the Doctor for an explanation.

"It's just the TARDIS welcoming her Time Lady. Sorry Donna, I should have warned you," the Doctor says apologetically.

"Will it always feel like this?" Donna asks him.

"Only until your bond is fully formed." At her puzzled look he continues. "A Time Lord forms a mental bond with his or her TARDIS. It allows us to communicate. Give it a few days and you'll get used to each other. Then all you will feel is a gentle nudge when she wants your attention."

"Okay, I guess I can live with that," Donna says. She gives herself a mental shake and steps away from Jack, into her TARDIS.

"_My TARDIS_," she thinks to herself, "_and what a beauty you are_!" she exclaims, staring about in wonder.

The inside of her TARDIS is nothing like the Doctor's. Instead of coral and grating, Donna's TARDIS has trees and grass. The grass is a deep red and the trees have silver leaves. Filmy blue material covers the walls and ceiling, imitating the sky. The console is similar to the Doctor's, except that all the controls are brand new. Where the Doctor has a jump seat, Donna has a comfortable park bench.

Donna feels another surge of emotion in her head, pleasure. Her TARDIS is happy that she approves of her appearance.

"Oh my, it reminds me of …," the Doctor starts to say, but breaks off mid sentence, tears starting to well in his eyes again.

"Home," Donna finishes for him, going over to give him a comforting hug.

"Yes, home," he manages to choke out.

They move out of the way so the others can enter. Gasps of amazement can be heard from everyone as they take in their surroundings.

"Well Rose, Bad Wolf really outdid herself this time," Donna tells her. "But I think she forgot one minor detail."

"And what would that be?" Rose enquires.

"Well, if the Time Lords are to be reborn through me, who's going to be the father? I case you hadn't noticed, the Doctor and I are the only Time Lords in existence, and, no offence, but I'm not mating with him!" Donna exclaims.

That put a smile on the Doctor's face. "Don't worry, Donna, you're safe from me," the Doctor tells her.

"Bad Wolf didn't forget anything, Donna," Rose says quietly. "She thought you might like a bit of privacy for the last part of your surprise. Come with me, you too Doctor," she says, heading for the door leading from the console room.

Donna glances at the Doctor for an explanation but he just shrugs his shoulders. He has no idea what Rose is up to.

They both hurry to catch up to Rose. She has only gone a short way down the corridor and is standing in front of a gold door. There is no handle on the door, nor is there a keyhole.

"What's in there?" asks Donna, sounding a bit nervous.

"Your future," Rose answers.

"I don't understand," Donna says.

"Just close your eyes, place your hands on the door and think of the man that you want to spend the rest of your life with," Rose instructs.

Donna turns to the Doctor but he's no help. "Don't look at me, I have no idea what she's up to!" he exclaims.

"It's okay, Donna. Bad Wolf wants you to be happy. You won't come to any harm," Rose assures her.

Feeling rather silly, Donna does as instructed and places her palms against the door, closes her eyes and concentrates. Images of old boyfriends run through her mind like a slide show. She glances briefly at them, pausing when she gets to Lance, her former fiancé. But she remembers how he betrayed her and quickly rejects him. The slides continue. And then she sees him. He's the one, the only one she would ever consider. She feels like she knows him, after all, they were married and had two children together, even if they were only computer simulations! But he was real and she had loved him.

Her mind is shouting out his name. Her pulse is racing and her cheeks are flushed.

"Donna, open the door and take your first step into your new life," she hears Rose telling her.

Donna opens her eyes and notices that a door handle has appeared. She grasps it firmly, her hand trembling slightly. With a last glance at Rose and the Doctor, who both give her reassuring smiles and nods of encouragement, she turns the handle and pushes the door wide open.

She takes a few tentative steps into the room. It looks remarkably like her bedroom from the simulation. But it appears to be empty. Her heart starts to sink, but then…

"Donna!"

She spins around to face him, just as he reaches her. He wraps her up in a great big hug, lifting her feet off the ground.

"Oh, Donna, I thought I'd lost you," he tells her, tears of happiness pouring down his cheeks.

"Lee," she squeaks out his name, hugging him for all she's worth. "You found me and I'm never letting go of you again."

***********************************************************


	18. Chapter 18 Revelations

Lee slowly lowers Donna until her feet are firmly on the floor but he doesn't release his hold on her. He frames her face with his hands and kisses her. It starts off tenderly but quickly spirals out of control as all of their pent up emotions are allowed free reign.

They are interrupted by a polite cough from the doorway.

"Ah, Donna, sorry to interrupt, but would you mind introducing us?" the Doctor asks. He is leaning on the doorframe, his long legs crossed and sporting a cheeky smirk.

Lee and Donna reluctantly break apart and turn to face the Doctor and Rose.

"Doctor, Rose, I'd like you to meet Lee. He was my husband when I was trapped in the simulation in the Library," Donna explains.

"Pleased to meet you, Doctor," Lee says, extending his hand.

"Likewise," the Doctor replies, shaking his hand and giving him a clap on the shoulder.

Lee turns to Rose. "Nice to meet you….," he starts to say. He shakes his head in confusion. "Hold on a minute, I know you. But you look, different."

"How do you know Rose?" Donna asks him.

"She came to me, just after I was teleported from the Library. I saw you in the Library, Donna, but I didn't get a chance to call out to you. I was trying to find a way back to you when she found me. She asked me what I would do to get back to you and I told her I would give my life for you." He turns back to Rose. "You were glowing gold the last time I saw you."

"That was Bad Wolf. She's a part of me but she doesn't come out that often," Rose explains.

"Thankfully," the Doctor mutters under his breath.

"Oi, watch it you!" Rose laughs, playfully elbowing him in the ribs. "She's done a lot of good things for you."

"And I'm very grateful," the Doctor replies, giving her a quick hug.

"So what did Bad Wolf do to Lee?" Donna asks. "Apart from taking away his stutter, I mean, which I haven't decided yet is a good or bad thing."

Rose looks to Lee and he nods his permission for her to explain.

"She made him a Time Lord, Donna, same as she did you. You will never be alone again." Rose waits anxiously for Donna's reaction. She doesn't have to wait long. Donna rushes over and hugs Rose for all she's worth, saying "thank you" repeatedly.

"So it looks like you're stuck with me," Lee tells Donna once she has released Rose. "Think you can handle that, without my stutter and all?" His tone is joking but Donna can sense that he is using it to hide his uncertainty.

"Oh you better believe I can," she tells him, giving him a kiss that leaves him in no doubt of her feelings.

"Ok you two, enough of that!" the Doctor exclaims. "We've still got to get Don, I mean John, settled in with Joan. Are you still planning on keeping an eye on him, Donna?"

"Yes I am. I meant what I said earlier. I feel responsible for him." At Lee's quizzical look Donna gives him the abridged version of how John came to be and how they all ended up where they presently are.

"Of course we must stay," Lee states when Donna has finished her story.

"Thank you for understanding how important this is to me," Donna says, giving him a kiss.

"Anything for you, my love," Lee tells her. "Now let's get moving!"

***********************************************************

The Doctor, Rose, Donna and Lee rejoin the others in the console room. Introductions are made, with Jack being his usual self and trying to flirt with Lee.

Lee totally ignores Jack's advances, much to Jack's annoyance.

"It's beautiful," Lee exclaims, looking around him. "It reminds me of Gallifrey, except the sky is blue not orange."

"It's the colour of the sky on New Gallifrey," Rose announces.

"But I thought we were going to rebuild Gallifrey," Donna says, clearly confused.

"And so we will. But we need to start somewhere. And New Gallifrey is enough like the old world that the others won't feel too disorientated when we bring them there," Rose explains.

"Others? What others?" the Doctor frowns.

"The other Time Lords," Rose tells him quietly.

"But they all died. I destroyed them!" he shouts at her.

"No Doctor, you were supposed to believe that. A group of younglings from the academy were off world when the Time War started. They have been kept hidden away, waiting for the right time. And that time is nearly here."

"But I would have felt them, sensed their presence in my mind. There was no one. No one survived," the Doctor rasps, his anguish clear to everyone.

"I'm so sorry, Doctor, but it was necessary for you to believe that at the time. There were things that only you could do, and you might have acted differently had you known of their existence."

A look of hope appears on the Doctor's face. "Where are they?" he whispers.

"The Daleks weren't the only ones to take planets out of time. They are on Karn."

"But Karn's in the same system as Gallifrey. How did they escape the Time War?"

Rose hangs her head, feeling guilty. "It was Bad Wolf. When she destroyed the Daleks back on Satellite 5 she moved Karn out of time before the Time War started. Once New Gallifrey is ready, they won't have far to travel."

"And where is New Gallifrey then?" Donna asks her.

"Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, New Gallifrey has been reborn where the old world once was," Rose replies.

"Let me guess, Bad Wolf again?" Donna laughs.

"And you knew about this yet you didn't once think to tell me?" the Doctor turns to Rose, his anger evident.

"I didn't know until now, Doctor. Bad Wolf kept it hidden from me as well," Rose replies, feeling rather hurt.

"I'm sorry," he tells her, giving her a hug. "It's a lot to take in."

"You're forgiven," she says, returning the hug.

"Come on then, let's get to work!" Donna announces.

***********************************************************


	19. Chapter 19 What Next

There's a hive of activity between the two TARDISes and the cottage.

Martha and Joan are preparing a bedroom for John in the cottage. Joan has decided that it will be easier to keep John here for a few days until he's recovered a bit and then have some men help move him back to his rooms at the school.

Pete is playing doctor again, checking on John and giving him a tranquiliser to keep him asleep.

Jack and Mickey are busy making adjustments to Donna's TARDIS so that she will be able to communicate easily with the Doctor's TARDIS.

The Doctor, Donna and Lee are in the Zero Room of Donna's TARDIS. The Doctor is explaining their new Time Lord abilities to them and teaching them how to use and control them. Donna is a quick study, having spent so much time with the Doctor. Lee takes a bit longer to catch on but after a few hours the Doctor is satisfied with their progress.

Jackie is doing what she does best, preparing lunch for them all, with a little help from Rose. And what a feast it is! Jackie has performed a minor miracle. There's roast chicken and vegetables with rich, thick gravy for the main course and homemade apple pie with cream for dessert.

Rose sets the table while Jackie puts the finishing touches on the meal. Joan fills the water glasses and Martha goes to tell everyone else that lunch is ready.

When everyone is seated at the table Joan says grace. After that everyone helps themselves, chatting away as they pass platters of chicken and bowls of vegetables around the table. Once everyone's plate is full, silence descends; the only sound that of knives and forks scraping against plates.

Conversation slowly returns once they have satisfied their initial hunger.

Lee is the first to speak, turning to Joan and asking, "So Joan, seeing as how Donna and I will be here for a while, what can we do? We'll each need some sort of job so that we can try to blend in and keep an eye on John at the same time."

Joan considers this for a moment before answering him. "Well I think you could get a job as a caretaker but I'm not sure about Donna. What can you do, Donna?" Joan asks, turning to Donna as she speaks.

"Well I was the fastest temp in Chiswick – 100 words a minute," Donna proudly tells her.

Seeing Joan's confused expression Martha quickly explains, "Donna is very fast using a typewriter. Maybe she could assist John or some of the other teachers with their research or typing up lessons."

"Oh yes, that should be easy to arrange. None of the teachers like having to type their notes so your services would be very much in demand," Joan assures Donna with a smile.

"And what about you, Doctor? What's next for you?" Joan asks him.

"Well we have to return all these people to their respective universes and times, and then I was hoping that Rose and I could go and see New Gallifrey," the Doctor replies, running a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. He turns to Rose, the question clearly written on his face.

"Can't we go with…," Jack starts to say, but is silenced by the look he sees in Rose's eyes. "Another time," he mutters to himself.

Rose takes the Doctor's hands in hers. "Yes Doctor, we can visit New Gallifrey. Everything will be ready by the time we have dropped Mum and Pete back in their universe and Mickey, Jack and Martha back to Torchwood."

Jackie, feeling the tension building up, breaks it by announcing that it's time for dessert.

Donna and Joan give her a hand clearing the table and bringing the apple pie and cream in from the kitchen.

The general chatter from earlier resumes but it is forced, the mood has been broken. Everyone is all too aware that their time together is coming to an end.

When they have finished their dessert Pete and Jack excuse themselves to get John settled into his room in the cottage.

Rose and Jackie retire to the sitting room, having been banished from the kitchen by Joan, Martha and Donna.

Mickey, Lee and the Doctor head out to make some final adjustments to the communications equipment linking the TARDISes.

And suddenly the time is upon them. There are no more excuses, no last minute repairs to be carried out. It is time to leave.

Tearful hugs are exchanged by all, with Donna extracting a promise from Rose that she will contact her from Pete's world and also after dropping Jack and the others off at Torchwood.

Joan, Donna and Lee accompany them outside, waving until the Doctor's TARDIS has vanished from sight. Joan goes back inside the cottage to check on John, whilst Donna and Lee return to their TARDIS to await news from Rose that they have made it safely to Pete's world.

***********************************************************

Meanwhile, inside the Doctor's TARDIS, there are more tearful goodbyes being said between Jackie and Rose.

The Doctor finally takes pity on them and asks Jackie and Rose for their mobile phones. They hand them over, Rose asking, "What are you going to do? They won't work when we're in different universes, will they?"

"Oh yes they will, now that we've got the dimension stabiliser. You and Jackie can talk whenever you like, no matter where you are," the Doctor replies, rather pleased with himself.

Without any warning Jackie launches herself at him, hugging him for all she's worth. His Time Lord senses save him from being bowled over. He returns her hug awkwardly, more used to being on the receiving end of a Jackie Tyler slap than a hug!

Jackie finally releases him, giving him a kiss on the cheek for good measure.

A few moments later they land. To everyone's relief they have landed in the right place at the right time. Pete and Jackie say their final goodbyes and step out of the TARDIS and into their lounge room, only moments having passed from when they left.

Rose contacts Donna and Lee to tell them of their safe arrival. They are able to hear each other loud and clear.

Then it's off again to drop Jack, Mickey and Martha back at Torchwood.

Martha still has her super phone but Jack and Mickey both request the Doctor tune up their phones as well, which he does without complaint.

All too soon they arrive at Torchwood, surprisingly in the right time and place! The TARDIS really is outdoing herself today.

Another round of tearful goodbyes and a call to Donna and Lee later, the Doctor and Rose are finally alone.

They are standing side by side at the console, neither one wanting to be the first to break the silence. Rose is the first to move. She steps closer to the Doctor, takes his hand in hers and raises it to her lips. "And then there were two," she whispers.

The Doctor gathers her up in his arms, holding her tightly, and whispers back, "Its better with two."

They share a long, passionate kiss, which the Doctor reluctantly breaks.

Rose stares deeply into his eyes, slowly catching her breath. An unspoken question passes between them. She nods her agreement and he releases her, moving over to the console to enter the co-ordinates. She moves over to assist him, placing her hand over his.

"New Gallifrey, here we come!" they shout, releasing the handbrake together, sending the TARDIS spinning into the vortex.

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	20. Chapter 20 A Lesson on Regeneration

Rose makes herself comfortable on the jump seat. The trip to New Gallifrey will take a few hours.

The Doctor, as usual, is dashing from one side of the console to the other, turning dials and flicking switches. Rose is content to just sit and watch him. She still finds it hard to believe that she is here, with him, forever.

Lost in her thoughts, she doesn't notice that the Doctor has ceased his activity until he is standing in front of her. He reaches out and tucks a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. She gives him one of her trademark grins, tongue just peeking out from between her teeth.

He joins her on the jump seat and pulls her into his arms. She snuggles into him, her head resting over his left heart. They stay like this for some time, content just being together.

The Doctor is about to ask Rose if she has gone to sleep when he hears her sigh. Looking down at her he notices a golden glow forming in her eyes. "Not again," he thinks to himself.

Rose/Bad Wolf pulls out of his arms and turns slightly so that she is facing him. When she speaks he notices that her voice is almost normal, only a hint of Bad Wolf about it. "It's me, Doctor. Rose," Rose tries to assure him.

"If that's you Rose then why are your eyes glowing?" the Doctor asks her.

"Bad Wolf and I are trying something out, to see if I can still hear and speak when she is awake. So far so good," Rose replies, winking at him cheekily.

"Right, well, fine then," the Doctor says, running his hands through his hair.

Rose grabs his lapels and pulls him close, giving him a long, passionate kiss. When she finally comes up for air the Doctor smiles at her ruefully. "Oh yes, you're definitely you!"

"Oi," she says, playfully swatting at his arm.

He holds his hands up in mock surrender.

Rose just shakes her head and laughs at him. "I was hoping to have a serious conversation with you, Doctor, _before_ we get to New Gallifrey!"

At this the Doctor becomes serious, all playfulness forgotten. Rose notices his changed expression and rushes to allay his fears.

"It's nothing bad, Doctor." She takes a hold of his hands and gives a gentle squeeze. "I just wanted to ask you about regeneration. You still haven't explained it to me, not properly. I was wondering, why didn't you change after that Dalek shot you? You did on Satellite 5, after you absorbed the energy from the Time Vortex."

The Doctor pulls his hands free and jumps up. He starts pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair. This is the last thing he expected to be having to explain.

"Well, Doctor?" Rose prompts him.

He stops pacing and turns to face her. Taking a deep breath, he launches into full lecture mode. "Let me start at the beginning. Time Lords have a process called regeneration which helps us basically cheat death. When we are mortally wounded or our bodies worn out from old age, we regenerate. All the cells in our bodies are replaced with new ones. Every single one. All that remains are our memories, and even they are sometimes scrambled. When I absorbed the energy from the Time Vortex all the cells in my body were damaged, dying. I didn't just remove the energy from you; I repaired the damage that it had done…."

"So you changed because of me?" Rose interrupts him. "I was trying to save you, but I killed you…," she trails off with a sob.

The Doctor moves over to her and pulls her into his arms, shushing her, rubbing her back. "Oh no, Rose, you saved me. If you hadn't come back the Daleks would have destroyed me. They would have shot me over and over until I had no regenerations left. You kept that from happening. You spared me from that nightmare."

He pulls back from her slightly and puts a finger under her chin, raising her face to his. He wipes her tears away and gives her a gentle kiss.

"Okay now?" he asks her tenderly.

"Yeah," she says, giving him a weak smile. She pulls away from him then and sits up a bit straighter. "Hey, what did you mean about the Daleks? How many regenerations do you have?"

"Time Lords are given 12 regeneration cycles…," he breaks off as Rose interrupts him.

"How many have you used then?" she asks anxiously.

"I've used 9 now, this is my tenth body."

"What about when that Dalek shot you. You started to regenerate then but you didn't change. Why not?" She looks into his eyes, as if seeking the answer there for herself.

"I healed myself using the regeneration energy but I didn't want to change so I redirected the energy into my spare hand." He breaks eye contact, almost as if he is embarrassed.

"Why didn't you want to change, Doctor?" she prompts gently.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, gathering his courage. "I wanted to stay the same for you. You'd only just found me again and I couldn't do that to you after all that time apart. When I regenerated after Satellite 5 all I was thinking about was you. I wanted to look good for you. I have no control over what I am going to look like when I regenerate but I thought if I kept you in my mind then maybe that would help. And it seemed to work. I didn't want to go through that again. Besides, I love this hair!"

"I love your hair as well!" Rose exclaims, running her fingers through said hair. She takes a few moments to absorb all that he has told her. "If you were able to heal yourself without changing after the Dalek shot you, why didn't you do the same thing after Satellite 5?"

"Once the regeneration process has started there's no stopping it. I only redirected the energy into my hand; I didn't stop the regeneration itself. If that hand hadn't been there then I would have changed. The energy can only be redirected into a matching biological receptor – a severed limb if you will."

"So you've really regenerated 10 times then," Rose states.

"Well, I'm not sure if that last one really counts. Time will tell!" he grins.

"And you're sure there's no way to control the regeneration energy?" Rose asks him.

"Absolutely positive," he replies. "Why?" he asks her, suddenly suspicious.

His suspicions are confirmed when he notices the golden gleam in her eyes. "You'd better rethink your answer, Time Lord, before we get to New Gallifrey!"

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	21. Chapter 21 New Gallifrey

The Doctor just stares at Rose/Bad Wolf for a moment, his mouth hanging open. With a shake of his head he regathers his senses enough to utter one word. "What?"

Rose looks at him, clearly puzzled. "What d'ya mean, what?"

"What you just said, about regeneration energy. What did you mean about controlling it?" the Doctor asks.

"I've no idea what you're talkin' about, Doctor," Rose replies, shaking her head as she speaks.

The Doctor looks more closely at her and notices that her eyes are no longer glowing. Bad Wolf has retreated again, it seems.

"Your little experiment with Bad Wolf doesn't appear to be working," the Doctor informs her. At her questioning look, he goes on to explain about how Bad Wolf had told him to find a way to control regeneration energy. "But it just can't be done, Rose," he finishes, running his hands through his hair in frustration and starting to pace back and forth.

"Well there must be a reason why she wants you to control the energy. What else can you use regeneration energy for, other than healing yourself?" Rose asks him. She feels slightly guilty that Bad Wolf kept that conversation, and the reason for it, from her.

The Doctor paces some more, considering her question. He suddenly stops and spins around to face her, a big grin nearly splitting his face in two. "Rose Tyler, you're a genius!" he exclaims, hitting himself in the forehead with the heel of his right hand. He skips over to her, grabs her by the hands and dances her around the console.

She throws back her head and laughs, not knowing what she has done but pleased that she has made him happy.

He eventually dances them back over to the jump seat and helps a now breathless Rose back onto it.

Once she has caught her breath Rose asks him what he has figured out.

"You asked what else regeneration energy could be used for. And that's it – that's the answer!" the Doctor exclaims excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Rose laughs at him, her tongue peeking out of the corner of her mouth. She finally grabs his hands in an effort to calm him down. "You're not making any sense at all!" she laughingly tells him.

Never one to miss an opportunity to impart his knowledge, the Doctor calms down, switching into lecture mode. He sits beside Rose on the jump seat, angling his body so that he is half facing her.

Taking a deep breath the Doctor launches into his explanation. "Not much is known about where the ability to regenerate came from. Time Lord history indicated Rassilon may have had something to do with it. At any rate, all we knew about it was that Time Lords had 12 regeneration cycles, with each cycle lasting up to a few hundred earth years, barring accident or other unforseen circumstances. With each cycle every cell in the entire body changed, regenerated. Hence the change in appearance and personality. But the memories remained intact, if a little scattered at times!" The Doctor pauses for a moment to see if Rose is following him so far.

At her nod he continues. "One of my lecturers from the Academy was experimenting with regeneration energy. He was the one who discovered that excess regeneration energy could be siphoned off into a matching biological receptor."

Here he waves his right hand at her, giving her a grin. Rose just grimaces, that hand still gives her the creeps!

"Anyway," the Doctor goes on, "your question reminded me of something he was working on when I…, left. He was looking for other ways to store excess energy instead of having to siphon it off into a biological receptor. Not everyone has a spare hand lying around, you know!" he says with a wink.

"So did he find a way?" Rose asks him excitedly.

"I don't know. I never got a chance to ask him. The last time I was there we were in the middle of a war…." He trails off, the pain of his memories evident on his face. Rose takes his hands and pulls him to her, her arms about his waist and his head resting on her shoulder. She rubs one hand up and down his back, whispering soothing nonsense sounds to him.

The Doctor accepts her comfort for a few minutes before pulling himself together. He sits up slowly and gives her a weak smile. "I'm sorry, I thought after all this time it would be easier to deal with, but ….," he breaks off as Rose interrupts him.

"You don't have to apologise to me, Doctor. I'm just glad you're sharing your feelings with me, instead of bottling them up inside. Now, come on, tell me this theory of yours," she says with an encouraging smile, nudging him gently with her shoulder.

"Well, you saw what happened with me that last time, when I healed myself using the regeneration energy. His idea was that the energy doesn't have to be used on yourself, that it could be stored and used to rejuvenate, revive or recreate other living things, be they animal, vegetable or mineral. And I think I know a way to control that energy," he finishes, his trademark smile back in place.

Rose lifts her head to look him in the eye. He sees the flash of gold just as Bad Wolf speaks. "And you made it just in time, Time Lord. We're there!"

***********************************************************

"We're there?" the Doctor repeats, momentarily stunned.

"Yes, Doctor. New Gallifrey. Come and see for yourself." Rose/Bad Wolf hops down off the jump seat and heads for the doors, beckoning for the Doctor to follow her.

He reaches her side just as the doors open. What he sees leaves him speechless.

They haven't landed on the planet as he expected. Instead they are hovering above it, out of reach of the gravitational pull. There is nothing recognisable about the planet below, no land masses or seas, just a mass of swirling clouds of gas. Gases of different colours cover the whole planet as far as the eye can see. There are blues, greens, reds, pinks, oranges, all the colours in the spectrum are represented.

And then it dawns on him. That's not gas down there, its regeneration energy. The regeneration energy of the Time Lords who gave their lives to end the Time War and save all of creation.

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	22. Chapter 22 A Matter of Control

"It's beautiful!" Rose exclaims, looking over at the Doctor. "What is it?"

When he doesn't answer her straight away she turns around fully to face him.

He's leaning against the doorframe, grasping the pillar so tightly with his left hand that his knuckles are white. The anguished look on his face nearly sends her into a panic.

"Doctor, what is it? What's wrong?" Rose grabs his right shoulder, trying to get his attention.

He looks up, his eyes not really focussing on her, instead staring at the swirling clouds of gas beyond. "That, Rose, is all that remains of my people."

"Ok, not so beautiful then," Rose mutters, almost to herself.

But she's forgotten about his superior Time Lord hearing. "I thought you'd know about this already. Didn't Bad Wolf tell you?" the Doctor almost sneers at her.

"No she didn't, and there's no need to take it out on me!" Rose tells him, her voice rising just a little.

The Doctor runs a hand through his hair and lets out a sigh before replying to her. "I'm sorry Rose. It's just, seeing that," he points to the energy outside, "it just brought it all back to me, the Time War, everything that I've lost...," he trails off, a muffled sob escaping from his lips.

Rose draws him into her arms, runs her hands up and down his back and makes soothing noises. They stay like that for several minutes, until the Doctor has composed himself enough to continue.

He doesn't pull away from her, just tucks her under his right arm and turns so they are facing outside again, his chin resting on the top of her head.

"What you see out there Rose is regeneration energy. My people must have found a way to combine and contain it, in preparation for this day. But why didn't they tell me about this? How did they know it would work? How could they know that someone would survive, someone who could use this energy?" he addresses these questions to the clouds outside, almost expecting an answer. Nothing would surprise him after this.

But it is Bad Wolf who supplies the answers. "The Time Lords had been working on this for decades and only found the solution a few days before the end of the Time War. As for why they didn't tell you – would you have done what you had to do, if you had known what they were planning?" She pulls away from him so she can look him in the eye.

He returns her look for a moment then drops his gaze, silently acknowledging the truth of what she says.

"I thought not," Bad Wolf replies. "And to answer your final question, they didn't know. All they could do was hope. Hope that someone would survive. Someone like you, who doesn't let the impossible stop him. Now then, don't you think it's about time you got to work?" this last was from Rose, her voice soft and encouraging, all trace of Bad Wolf gone from her eyes.

"You're right," he tells her. "Allons-y!"

With that he turns away from the doors, races back up the ramp, through the internal door and down the corridor, Rose desperately trying to keep up with him.

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Five minutes and what seems like 100 miles of corridors and stairways later, they reach their destination.

It's unlike any room Rose has ever seen before. That's if you can call it a room. More like a small warehouse. Most of the space is taken up by a clear glass tank. To the left, as they walk through the doorway, Rose notices a console, a couple of chairs and a viewing screen. The screen is covered.

"What is this place?" Rose asks, turning around slowly, trying to take it all in.

The Doctor heads over to the console, pulling his brainy specs out of his pocket and placing them on the end of his nose. He flicks a few switches and pushes a few buttons. The cover on the screen slides back, revealing the swirling regeneration energy outside.

"It's a laboratory and that tank is like a great big specimen jar," the Doctor explains.

"And what are you going to use it for?" Rose asks, a puzzled look on her face.

The Doctor sits down and indicates for her to do the same. Once she is seated he launches into full lecture mode. "I think I've mentioned before that Time Lords were a telepathic race?" At her nod he continues. "Well then, it stands to reason that their regeneration energy is also telepathic."

"You mean, you can talk to it?" Rose asks.

"Not quite. But if I'm right, I should be able to communicate with it and direct it in fulfilling its purpose …,"

"So where does the tank come in?" Rose interrupts him, getting a little bit impatient with his rambling.

"Well it's a bit hard to communicate with the energy when it's out there and I'm in here. I'm just going to suck it all into this tank, have a nice little chat with it and send it on its way again." His tone indicates his displeasure with her interruption.

"'m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?" she asks, anxious to make it up to him.

"Once the energy is contained and I've established a link I'll need you to keep an eye on the readings on this screen here." He indicates a large round screen on the right hand side of the console. "If the level gets above 250 darafs it means that I've lost control of the energy. You'll need to turn this dial here all the way to the left and flick these switches off. That should enable me to either regain control or sever the link."

"And if you can't?" Rose asks fearfully.

"Well let's just hope it doesn't come to that," the Doctor says, putting on a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.

He flicks a switch and indicates for her to look at the viewing screen. A long pipe could be seen extending from the TARDIS towards the outer edges of the energy cloud. The head of the pipe looked like a triangular vacuum cleaner attachment. Rose can see wisps of regeneration energy disappearing into the pipe. She turns around to look at the tank behind her. The swirling colours can already be seen, starting to replace the emptiness that was there before.

She turns back to the screen and is surprised to see that most of the regeneration energy has disappeared from view. After a few more minutes it is all gone. The Doctor flicks a switch then gets up, moving over to the tank.

"Remember Rose, anything over 250 darafs. You're my only hope."

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	23. Chapter 23 Rebirth

The tank is nearly bursting at the seams, a kaleidoscope of colours twisting and turning about inside it.

Rose watches the Doctor as he approaches the tank. His steps are slow, almost hesitant. He turns back to look at her and gives her a nervous grin. He faces the tank again, rolls his shoulders and takes a few more steps, ending up right in front of the glass, his nose almost touching it.

It's almost as if the energy can sense the Doctor's presence. The random swirling ceases, as if it's waiting for him to make contact.

The Doctor glances at Rose over his shoulder and gives her the thumbs up sign. She nods and returns her gaze to the screen.

Taking a deep breath then releasing it slowly, the Doctor places his hands on the glass at shoulder height, his fingers spread wide. He leans his forehead against the tank and lowers his mental barriers.

The onslaught is immediate. Millions of voices cry out in his mind, each one vying to be heard. The Doctor's mouth opens in a silent scream, his face contorted in agony. It's all he can do just to remain standing.

Rose, watching the screen, knows that something has happened. The reading jumps straight from zero to 200 darafs. She looks over at the Doctor but she can't see his face. What she can see is the regeneration energy, which has resumed its movements, roiling and churning like a stormy sea. She goes to stand up, intending to go to him, to see for herself that he's all right, but then remembers his words. He's depending on her and she won't let him down.

The reading is now up to 220 darafs. Rose watches it closely, willing it to fall but it keeps increasing, 221… blip… 222… blip… 223. When the reading reaches 245 darafs Rose starts to get anxious. One hand hovers over the dial, the other ready to flick the required switches. 246… blip 247… blip… 248… blip… 249….

Sweat breaks out on Rose's forehead, a salty bead rolling into her left eye. It stings, causing tears to well up and her vision to blur, but Rose dare not move her hand to wipe her eye. The Doctor might need her help and every second counted.

Blip… 250….

Rose holds her breath until her lungs feel like they are going to burst. Her heart is beating so fast its nearly jumping out of her chest.

Blip… 249… blip… 248… blip… 247….

The reading starts to decrease. Rose exhales loudly then gulps in another breath, trying to regain her composure. She wipes the sweat from her eye and forehead and relaxes slightly. 208 darafs and falling. Another glance at the Doctor. He's still pressed up against the glass of the tank. The regeneration energy appears calmer now, swirling about gently.

And then it's over. The counter reaches zero. Rose jumps up and races over to the Doctor, the question on her lips forgotten when he collapses into her arms.

He's too heavy for her to lift so she gently lowers them both to the floor, moving around until she's cradling his head in her lap. She places a hand over each of his hearts and is reassured by their steady beating. His normally pale skin is almost translucent, the freckles on his face appearing almost black in contrast. He is completely still, except for the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes.

"Come on Doctor, please, wake up," Rose pleads with him, giving his shoulder a gentle nudge.

She gets no reply. Now she's really worried. She's only seen him like this once before, and that was just after he'd regenerated. Without realising it, she has been running her hands through his hair, smoothing it back from his forehead, making it stand up just how she likes it.

Rose stays like this for another 10 minutes, gently massaging the Doctor's scalp. It has helped to keep her calm but now she has to do something. He's been still for so long, which is totally unnatural for him. She ceases her ministrations, wriggles her mobile phone out of her pocket and is just about to call Donna to ask for her help when she hears him mumble something.

"Doctor? Did you just say something?" Rose asks him, peering down at him intently.

"I asked why you stopped. I was enjoying that," he gave her a cheeky grin as he opened his eyes. His face was still pale and she could see that his eyes weren't sparkling like they usually did.

"What happened? You collapsed on me. Is everything okay now?" Rose is talking and rapidly firing off questions, barely pausing to take a breath.

The Doctor reaches up and winds an arm around her neck, pulling her down to him. She's still talking, hasn't really noticed what he's up to, so is totally unprepared when his lips meet hers.

All too soon the Doctor ends the kiss, breathing hard, clearly exhausted. "Hello," he says to her.

"Hi," Rose replies. She remains silent, waiting for him to answer her questions in his own time.

He makes no move to sit up so Rose resumes her scalp massage. "Oh that feels so good," the Doctor tells her. "That's what brought me back from the brink, saved me from going over the edge."

"What do you mean, saved you? The reading never went over 250 darafs. It reached 250 and stayed there for a minute or two but then it fell again." Rose is clearly puzzled. "What happened?"

"I misjudged the telepathic power of the energy. When I dropped my mental shields it overpowered me. I could hear their voices, the Time Lords whose energy it was. Part of their consciousness went into the energy and they were calling me, begging me to save them, release them from what they have become." Tears start to pour down his cheeks. "I had to let them see into my mind, show them what had happened and try to explain to them what I wanted to use the energy for. I used up all my energy reserves but I think I got them to understand. Then they tried to convince me to join them. I drove them out of my mind and erected my shields but they kept hammering away. They finally gave up when I collapsed but by then it was nearly too late for me. You doing this," he places his hands over hers, where they are still tangled in his hair, "this saved me, reminded me what I had to live for. Thank you," he finishes quietly.

Rose had also started to cry while he was relating his ordeal, partly because she was upset at what he had gone through but more so when she realised how close she had come to losing him, again. She gives him a watery smile. "Don't mention it. You will be okay now, though, won't you?" she asks anxiously.

"I'm always all right, and this time I mean it. I have you and I'm never letting you go. Now, give me a hand to get up. I need to set this energy on its way, it's got a planet to rebuild."

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Several hours later, after having a nap, the Doctor and Rose are again staring out the doors of the TARDIS.

The view is nothing like before. The regeneration energy is gone. In its place they can see the planet below, landmasses and oceans clearly visible.

"Well it looks safe enough. Let's take a closer look," the Doctor announces, some of his energy having returned. Rose closes the doors and heads over to sit on the jump seat while he bounds over to the console and pulls a lever. The TARDIS materialises, landing with a gentle bump.

They head over to the doors again, Rose opening one and the Doctor slowly, hesitantly, opening the other.

He lets out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding and steps outside. It was just as he remembered it. The Citadel, the mountains, the trees, everything. Only the sky was different. Not the burnt orange that he remembered but the blue that they had seen in Donna's TARDIS.

"Welcome home, Doctor," Rose/Bad Wolf whispers.

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	24. Chapter 24 A Whole New World

The Doctor walks away from the TARDIS, turning this way and that, trying to see everything at once.

Rose follows in silence, taking in the beauty of what he has helped create.

They have landed in a clearing and are surrounded by silver-leafed trees. The grass underfoot is a deep red colour. Mountains are visible in the distance, their peaks capped with snow. The air is crisp and fresh. Everything feels new, 'Which I suppose it is,' Rose muses to herself.

The going gets a bit harder and Rose realises they are climbing a small hill. The Doctor stops when he reaches the top, waiting for her to catch up. He holds out his hand for her and when she takes it he draws her to his side, draping his arm over her shoulders. She looks up at him and sees that his eyes are dancing with excitement. He's like a kid at Christmas time, pointing out all the important landmarks, rambling on about the time he spent in the mountains when he was a child.

It is a beautiful day, the sun is shining high in the sky and a gentle breeze is blowing, rustling the leaves on the trees in a way that almost sounds like singing. The Doctor removes his coat, spreads it out on the grass and lies down, pulling Rose down beside him. They lie in companionable silence for a while, revelling in being the only people on the planet.

"Doctor, what happened to those Time Lords? You said part of their consciousness had remained. Where are they now?" Rose asks him, remembering how she almost lost him to them.

"They're all around us, in the air, the sea and the land. But they can't think anymore. The telepathic link is gone, destroyed when the energy reformed into this."

"And are you okay with that?" Rose enquires gently, leaning up on one elbow so she can see his face.

"I am now. It took me a while to accept it and respect that this was what they wanted, what they gave their lives for. I am finally at peace with myself, with what happened during the time war. No more nightmares, thanks to you." He reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What did I do?" she asks, slightly puzzled.

"You believed in me, kept coming back to me no matter what happened, or how many times I tried to push you away. The Game Station, Madame de Pompadour, Krop Tor, even after I left you on Pete's World, twice. You never gave up on me, on us. I was wrong, what I said on that beach when I left you there that second time. I do need you, always have, always will," his voice breaks on these last words and tears roll down his cheeks.

Rose lies back down beside him and pulls him into her arms, his head lying on her chest. She rubs her hand over his back in a circular motion, making soothing noises in his ear. After a few minutes she feels his shoulders stop shaking but he makes no move to get up.

"I'm never leaving you, Doctor," Rose whispers. "You should know that by now." She feels him nod in acknowledgement of her words. "Do you trust me?" she asks him. He gives her another nod, no hesitation whatsoever.

Rose gently places her fingertips at his temples and closes her eyes. She reaches out to him with her mind, instantly recognising his steel-blue aura, sending him her feelings of love and desire. The Doctor jerks his head up, staring into her eyes in amazement as her golden aura flows into his mind.

"How did you…," he starts to say, but she interrupts him.

'_I've been practicing with Bad Wolf and the TARDIS. I wanted to surprise you,'_ she tells him speaking directly into his mind.

'_And you have, my love,'_ he replies, covering her hands with his.

She can feel how much she means to him, his emotions plain to see; there is no hiding them any more. They have both waited too long for this moment.

'_Welcome home, Doctor,'_ Rose tells him, repeating her words from earlier.

'_This isn't my home Rose, not anymore. Not since I ran away all those centuries ago. My home is with you, wherever you are,'_ he answers her.

He gently pulls her hands away from his temples and pushes her onto her back, holding her hands up above her head. She tries to reach out for him, to re-establish contact, then realises that their minds are still linked, even though their physical contact has been broken.

The Doctor, realising her confusion, explains, _'once the initial link has been made, we don't need to be touching to be able to talk like this. I'll teach you more later, but right now I have more important things to tend to.'_

And he proceeds to show her just what those important things are, lowering his head and capturing her lips with his. She closes her eyes, revelling in the feelings he is creating inside her. She opens her mouth to him, allowing him deeper access. His tongue darts inside and starts a slow dance with hers. She moans at the erotic images this action creates and then her eyes fly open. Those weren't her thoughts.

'_It's ok,'_ the Doctor soothes her, without breaking their kiss. _'An added bonus of having our minds linked is that we can feel what the other feels, what they need. For example, I know that if I touch you just here,'_ and he brushes his hand over her breast, eliciting another deep moan from her, _'that you will react as you just did!'_ he smirks gently against her lips.

Rose breaks the kiss, sucking in a huge lungful of air. Her eyes are dark with passion, her lips slightly swollen. 'Two can play the same game,' she thinks to herself, careful to hide this thought from him. Bad Wolf and the TARDIS had taught her a few tricks of her own!

She catches the Doctor by surprise, rolling over until she is sitting astride him. She captures his hands and holds them above his head, just as he had done with her. She leans forward and captures his lips, wiggling her hips as she does so. His reaction is more than she had hoped for. He groans deep in her throat, grabs hold of her hips to keep her steady and thrusts his hips up to meet hers, leaving her in no doubt as to how much he wants her.

What has started out as something slow and tender rapidly turns into an inferno, neither able to get enough of the other.

Hands tear at clothing; teeth leave bite marks in tender flesh and nails rake down each other's back.

Finally all barriers are gone, they face each other naked. The Doctor is lying above her, holding most of his weight on his elbows. They stare deeply into each others eyes, wanting to capture every emotion as they become one for the first time. At her nod he gently pushes inside her, burying himself to the hilt. Rose wraps her legs around his hips and they start moving together in a dance that is as old as time itself.

Rose knows this first time won't last long; she is already close and senses that the Doctor isn't far away either. These shared emotions are amazing, heightening her own feelings tenfold. She kisses the Doctor deeply, pouring her heart and soul into it and suddenly she is flying, swept away on a wave of emotion, higher than she has ever been before. The Doctor joins her a moment later, crying out loud at the intense pleasure. They stay like that for a few minutes, both catching their breath. Eventually the Doctor withdraws from her and lies on his back, drawing her close to his side.

She turns on her side and snuggles up to him, laying her head on his chest. And they fall asleep like that in each others arms, under the stars of New Gallifrey.

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	25. Chapter 25 Proposals

Rose stretches languidly, a contented smile on her face. She has never felt so sated, so loved, and it's all thanks to the wonderful man sleeping peacefully beside her. She blushes as she remembers their activities from the previous night.

They had fallen asleep together under the stars after their first frantic union. The Doctor had woken her a few hours later and they had made slow, passionate love, taking their time discovering each other's pleasure centres, the experience heightened by their mind link.

He really was insatiable. It was like a dam had broken and he couldn't get enough of her. Not that she was complaining, mind you!

They had woken again to the dawn chorus, and made love for a third time. Afterwards the Doctor had carried her back to the TARDIS, through his bedroom and into his massive en-suite bathroom. The TARDIS had prepared a bubble bath for them, the water just hot enough to soothe tired, aching muscles. And that was the last thing she remembered.

Now she finds herself snuggled up in bed beside the Doctor, lying on the softest mattress she has ever felt. Blinking a bit in the dim light she tries to remember what woke her. There it is again, a muffled, buzzing sound. She lifts her head off the pillow and turns towards where the noise is coming from. Rose spots her clothes, neatly folded, on a chair beside the bed. The Doctor must have retrieved them while she was asleep. She hears the buzzing again and finally realises what it is. Her mobile phone!

She leans over, retrieves the phone from her jeans pocket and flips it open. There are 4 missed calls and 2 voice messages. One of the missed calls is from Jackie; the others are all from Donna. Deciding not to wake the Doctor just yet, Rose dials the number to listen to her voice messages. The first message is from her mum, just checking that they are ok and asking Rose to call her when she gets a chance. The next one is from a very excited sounding Donna. She's gabbling away so fast that Rose can't understand a word of her message! She shakes her head and hangs up the phone. She'll just have to ring Donna back and find out what's going on!

Rose arranges the pillows comfortably behind her so that she's propped up against the headboard. She pulls the covers back up, having dislodged them retrieving her phone. The Doctor mumbles something unintelligible beside her and snuggles closer to her, his head pillowed on her breast, an arm about her waist and a leg thrown over both of hers. She should feel claustrophobic but she doesn't, she feels safe and loved. She runs the fingers of one hand through his hair and smiles at his sigh of contentment. He's still fast asleep though.

She's just about to press the redial button to call Donna when a message pops up on the screen announcing an incoming call. It's Donna. Rose smiles as she presses the button to accept the call. "Hi Donna, I was just about to call you," Rose greets her.

"'bout time too. I was starting to get worried about you two. Are you ok? We haven't heard from you in ages," Donna rambles on, finally pausing long enough for Rose to get a word in.

"We're fine Donna. And what d'ya mean by ages, we only left you a day or two ago?" Rose asks, clearly puzzled by Donna's concern.

"I see. So he hasn't explained it to you has he?" Donna's question is more a statement.

"Explained what, exactly?" Rose isn't sure she likes where this conversation is going.

"Oh, don't mind me, it's nothing...." Donna breaks off as Rose interrupts her.

"Donna, how long have we been gone?" Rose asks, the suspicion evident in her voice.

"Well..., it's one of those timey wimey things and..."

"Donna!" Rose uses her best Bad Wolf voice, a tone that sends shivers down the spine of all who hear it.

"You've been gone nearly 3 months," Donna tells her quietly.

"Okaaaaayyyyyyyyy," Rose says, drawing the word out as long as she can. She glances down at the sleeping Doctor. He'd better have some good answers for her later!

"Anyway," Donna continues, the excitement rising in her voice again, "I've got some fantastic news for you both. John and Joan are getting married! He proposed to her a month after you left. The wedding's only a month away now. Joan was hoping you might want to be there, seeing as how you helped make it possible."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea Donna. We don't really want to risk it. Seeing the Doctor could cause John to remember and then where would we be?" Rose explains.

"I thought you'd say that. Alright, I'll let you off this time but I do need you and the Doctor to be at my Mum's house in a week, and prepare to stay around for a while helping me get organised."

"Organised for what?" Rose asks suspiciously.

"For my wedding!" Donna squeals. "And I want you to be my bridesmaid. Lee's going to ask the Doctor to be his best man, but don't let on that I told you," Donna gabbles on.

"Oh Donna, I'd be honoured!" Rose squeals back, Donna's excitement contagious. "So what date and year do you want us there?"

"Saturday the 15th of November 2008," Donna tells her. "That gives us 5 weeks to prepare. The wedding's the 20th of December."

"We'll be there," Rose laughs, pleased that Donna is so happy.

"I'd better go, so much to do and so little time, even with a time machine!" Donna jokes. "And remember, not a word to the Doctor about Lee wanting him to be best man."

"I promise, not a word! Bye." Rose giggles, hanging up the phone.

"Not a word about what?" the Doctor mumbles, his head still buried in her breast.

"Oh, umm, nothing," Rose stammers, not sure how much of the conversation he's heard.

"Come on, you can tell me," he wheedles, stretching lazily then resuming his former position.

When she doesn't answer him he moves his head slightly so he can look into her eyes. Once he's sure he has her attention, he licks his lips and says, "I have ways of getting information out of you, Rose Tyler."

"I'm sorry but I promised. I can't tell you this," Rose tells him, wondering what he's going to do next.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," the Doctor informs her, lowering his eyes from hers and focusing his attention on her breast. He licks his lips again then his tongue darts out to lave her nipple. Rose fights to keep from showing any reaction to this, barely suppressing a moan as he sucks her nipple into his mouth, nipping at it with his teeth. He brings his hand up to her other breast, his dextrous fingers tweaking and rolling her nipple just how she likes it.

This time Rose can't suppress the shudder of pleasure that runs through her. She tangles her hands in his hair, urging him on. His hand strays from her breast, drifting ever so slowly down her body until it reaches her centre. She moans as he strokes her there, moving her hips against his hand, needing more.

He abruptly releases her breast and removes his hand. Rose moans at the loss of contact and tries to drag his head back down but he resists. "Are you ready to tell me yet?" he asks her, his voice thick with desire.

"I can't," she moans, moving restlessly beneath him.

"Then I concede defeat," he whispers throatily and resumes his ministrations.

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It is a long time later that she tells him about John and Joan and Donna and Lee and their respective wedding plans, and confronts him about the passage of time!

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	26. Chapter 26 Visiting Jackie

The Doctor and Rose spend the next few weeks exploring New Gallifrey. The landscape is just as he remembers it. He takes Rose to his favourite childhood places in the mountains, telling her stories of his many escapades. There is lots of laughter and loving.

The wondrous buildings have all been rebuilt and stand proudly under the light of the twin suns. The Doctor is hesitant to enter the Citadel but Rose takes his hand and drags him in with her. As they wander the corridors he expects to bump into one of the High Councillors at any moment. This soon fades though and all he can feel is a welcoming rush of love from his former home.

He regales Rose with tales from his younger days and how he went against the High Council. He also told her how he had been Lord President elect at one time but left Gallifrey without claiming the title. As he talks Rose can see how much he really does love his home world. He is like a new man, now that the weight of Gallifrey has been lifted from his shoulders. The ghosts of the past have finally been laid to rest.

They have spoken with Donna and Lee and have decided that it is best to wait until after the Donna and Lee return from their honeymoon to bring the younglings home from Karn. Donna and Lee will then stay on New Gallifrey and help them settle in.

Rose and Jackie have been in constant contact, Rose having told her Donna's news and asking Jackie's advice on her duties as bridesmaid. The calls become more frequent and last for several hours.

Finally The Doctor has had enough. He has hardly spent any time with Rose. She is always on the phone or off in the library looking up wedding books. He takes matters into his own hands and sets the TARDIS spinning into the Vortex.

Rose, who has been busy in her room working on her speech, feels the vibrations of the engines and races into the console room.

"Doctor! What d'ya think ya doin'? Where're we goin'?"

Rose glares at him, hands on her hips and a frown on her face.

"Sorry Rose, I've had enough. I hardly see you anymore. All I ever hear about is this wedding. I give in. We're going to your Mum's. At least this way I might get to see a bit more of you."

Rose launches herself into his arms and covers his face with kisses.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she says in between kisses.

"I'll be glad when this whole wedding business is behind us," he mutters to himself. He doesn't notice the golden gleam in Rose's eyes!

Jackie, Pete and Tony are overjoyed to see them. Rose tells them all about New Gallifrey, well the censored version anyway!

Rose and Jackie get together during the day to discuss hairstyles and dresses. The Doctor tinkers with the TARDIS to pass the time while Pete is at work and Tony at school.

The Doctor does get to spend a bit more time with Rose though, for which he is grateful. He had thought Rose was pulling away from him a bit but now he thinks he was imagining things.

One afternoon, a week after their arrival, he notices Rose sitting in the garden, looking through yet another wedding book. She has a wistful look on her face. He joins her and asks her what's wrong. She looks up from the book, startled. "Nothin's wrong," she assures him, with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

Him, being him, doesn't notice this minor detail, and starts rambling on, asking her how the plans are coming along.

Rose tells him that she has done all she can with Jackie's help and now it's time to go see Donna.

They ask Jackie if she wants to come with them but she declines, saying she has to look after the boys but that she wants to see pictures.


	27. Chapter 27 Catching Up With Friends

The TARDIS materialises in the back garden beside Donna's ginger TARDIS. The Doctor and Rose are met with a rousing welcome from Donna, Lee and Wilfred. Even Sylvia has a smile on her face, which is quite scary when you think about it!

Lee shakes the Doctor's hand while Wilfred gives Rose a big bear hug. "So good to see you again love," Wilfred tells her, wiping away a tear of happiness.

Sylvia takes her turn to give Rose a hug while Donna throws her arms around the Doctor. "I've missed you, Spaceman," she says with a smile.

Lee looks at Rose a bit warily so she makes it easy on him and wraps her arms around him. "Congratulations. You better take good care of Donna or you will have me to answer to!" There is a slight gleam in her eye and Lee bows his head in acknowledgement. "I will treat her like the Lady she is, never fear."

Donna finally releases the Doctor and Wilfred takes her place. He claps the Doctor on the back and quietly thanks him again for everything he and Rose have done for Donna.

Rose and Donna are hugging each other and squealing in excitement.

Sylvia stands in front of the Doctor, not saying a word. He looks at her warily, so used to mother's giving him a slap that he is sure that's what's coming next. But he is unprepared for what actually does happen. Sylvia sweeps him into a huge hug and kisses him on the cheek. "I can never thank you enough for everything you have done for my Donna, Doctor," she says with a catch in her voice. "Dad was right all along. She is better with you and I am so proud of her."

The Doctor feels a bit awkward, not knowing what to say or do for once! He returns her embrace and says, "Well it wasn't all my doing but thank you."

Sylvia lets him go and starts ushering everyone inside for refreshments. Once the tea has been poured and the food passed around they settle in for a chat, catching up on what everyone has been doing. Rose and the Doctor tell them what New Gallifrey looks like and the TARDIS kindly projects images onto the living room wall so they all can see. Even Sylvia is moved by the beauty of it. The Doctor makes a mental note to ask Donna later about this change in her mother, not that he's complaining! He rather likes it.

Then it is Donna and Lee's turn. Donna's TARDIS recorded the wedding ceremony of John and Joan seeing as the Doctor and Rose were unable to attend. John and Joan look so happy, surrounded by their loved ones. John is very dashing in his suit and Joan is gorgeous in her wedding dress. The church bells ring out, proclaiming their union. Donna sneaks a glance at Rose and spots a tear trickling down her cheek, which Rose quickly wipes away before anyone notices. Donna then looks at the Doctor to see what his reaction to the wedding is. He appears to be unmoved. "Typical male," Donna thinks to herself.

Wilfred excuses himself, saying he needs to have a lie down before dinner. Sylvia clears the dishes and takes herself off to the kitchen. Lee asks the Doctor to accompany him to Donna's TARDIS as he needs some help fixing something or other.

Finally on their own, Rose turns to Donna, intending to ask about her wedding plans. Before she can say a word Donna takes her hands and says, "Rose, tell me what's wrong."

Rose opens her mouth, about to deny anything, but Donna silences her with a stern look. "I saw your reaction to John and Joan's wedding. What I don't understand is why it upset you. Do you regret what happened with him?"

Rose swallows and then finds her voice. "I don't regret anything. I am very happy for John and Joan. They deserve to be together."

"Then what is it Rose? It's not like you to be like this. You are made of sterner stuff. Is it the Doctor, has he done or said something stupid? Is that it?" Donna guesses.

"No of course not," Rose is quick to reassure her. "It's just...," and she trails off, staring wistfully into space.

"I think I get it. You want to get married too, don't you?" Donna states, rather pleased with herself for working it out so quickly.

Rose blushes then replies, "Well yes, yes I would love to marry the Doctor. But I don't think he wants to get married."

"Have you ever asked him?" Donna quizzes her.

"No I haven't and I don't intend to either," Rose says defensively. "I don't want him to marry me out of a sense of duty. I want him to want to marry me, because he loves me." This last she finishes with a sniff. Her chin starts to tremble and tears well in her eyes.

Donna moves over to sit beside her on the couch and wraps her arms around her. She rubs Rose on the back and makes soothing noises as Rose starts to sob.

Sylvia pokes her head out of the kitchen to see what the matter is. She catches Donna's eye and mimics drinking a cup of tea. Donna nods her head gratefully.

Rose's sobs have died down to sniffles when Sylvia returns with a pot of tea and two mugs on a tray. She sets the tray down on the table and leaves them alone. Rose gives her a wobbly smile of thanks. Donna gives Rose's shoulder a squeeze then moves over to pour their tea. She adds extra sugar to Rose's cup and hands it to her. Rose accepts it gratefully and takes a sip. She feels calmer already.

"I'm so sorry Donna. We're here for your wedding, not for you to listen to me feeling sorry for myself," Rose apologises.

"Rubbish," Donna tells her. "What are friends for if not to have a cry on their shoulder? And I'd say you've needed a friend for quite a while, haven't you?"

"I suppose you're right. I had Mum when I was in the parallel universe but not a close girlfriend, like you," Rose smiles. "Please don't tell the Doctor about this," Rose begs her.

"Oh no, never," Donna is quick to reply. Rose doesn't notice that Donna has her fingers crossed behind her back!

They continue to sip their tea and Donna gets Rose to tell her more about New Gallifrey, trying to take her mind off weddings, for a while anyway!

Meanwhile, Lee and the Doctor have been tinkering with Donna's TARDIS. The Doctor finds he enjoys Lee's company and is more than happy to share a few of his secret repair tips!

Once they have finished Lee gives the Doctor a tour of the TARDIS. She has grown so much since the Doctor first saw her. Lee leads him to a garden room where there is a park bench overlooking a pond, sheltered by a weeping willow tree.

They sit down and just stare at the pond in companionable silence. Lee seems to be a little on edge though and the Doctor can sense it.

"Out with it then Lee," he says in a jovial tone.

Lee jumps slightly then his face reddens. He almost wishes he still has his stutter. At least that would give him an excuse to not say anything. A quick glance at the Doctor's face shows that he will not remain as patient for long.

Taking a deep breath, Lee musters all his courage and blurts it out. "Doctor, will you do me the honour of standing as my best man when I marry Donna?"

The Doctor is absolutely stunned. He opens and closes his mouth several times but he is lost for words. This is totally unexpected and, if he is honest with himself, terrifying!

He looks at Lee, watching him expectantly, and thinks of Donna, his wonderful, brilliant Donna, and knows that he must do this.

Clearing his throat, a serious look on his face, he says, "The honour will be all mine." He breaks into a grin and then laughs at the look of relief on Lee's face.

"Come on, let's go see what the girls are up to," Lee says. "It's nearly dinner time." His stomach rumbled, as if on cue. They both laughed as they headed back to the house.


End file.
